Just One Good Thing
by Hazel Rayne 008
Summary: Elize Tomoya is a vizard. Over a hundred years ago Sosuke Aizen altered her memories and used her on a very personal level. She now seeks revenge; but when her memories slowly start to become clear she is torn between fellow vizard comrades Shinji and Kensei. Secrets are slowly revealed and some darker than others. In the end she has to make a choice and will it be the right one?
1. Chapter 1

**XxXx Hello again, I'm back with another story. I've never written about these characters; but I thought I'd give it a try, so be gentle please. This will definitely have a love triangle for most of the story. Enough of my rambling, enjoy the first chapter. XxXx**

Chapter 1

"SHINJI" a female voice yelled from the lower part of the warehouse. Shinji Hirako sat lounging on the couch in the main room. He heard his name being called from the training room and grumbled as he got back into a sitting position. He slowly walked down the steps and saw her. Elize Tomoya, with her long wavy black hair and ocean blue eyes. She was dressed in a red and white tank with black vinyl pants. Her curves could make any man reach an easy hard on if they weren't in control; but lucky for him he knew how to control himself.

"Alright Elize, what the hell did I do this time?" he grumbled the complaint.

"Moron, it was your turn to do the dishes and of course you forgot again; so I had to do them" she snapped back.

"Yeah…uh…I guess I must have dozed off"

"Don't fucking give me that excuse again"

Shinji shrugged and just smiled at her. She glared at him, hating the fact that she could easily be swayed simply by his smile. "What the hell is all the commotion down here?" Kensei asked as walked down the metal staircase, his black combat boots making noise with every step he took. Elize looked from Shinji to Kensei. He was dressed in dark green cargo pants and a navy blue muscle tank. His more noticeable features included his short silver hair and piercings on his eyebrow and ear.

When she met Kensei over one hundred years ago, she instantly took a liking to him. Although she, at the time, was the third seat under Shinji; they slowly became friends over time. She was probably the closest person to Kensei until that night Sosuke Aizen turned them into hollows and with the help of Kisuke Urahara they became vizards. Elize remembered it like it was yesterday.

The head captain had sent Shinji, Rose, Love, Lisa, and herself to investigate the disappearance in Kensei and Mashido's spiritual pressure. Hiyori was already on her way there; but when she arrived Kensei attacked her as a hollow. No one understood the reason or the logic until the fight began and Sosuke appeared to explain that they were just research subjects. Since then they've stayed close to each other; but that's not to say that they don't argue once in a while…or all the time.

"Shinji forgot to do the dishes again" Elize said crossing her arms over her chest.

Shinji couldn't help but notice that when she crossed her arms her breasts rose and were closer together. Elize could see what he was staring at and quickly smacked him in the head. "You are such a pervert, Shinji" she grumbled.

"What the hell, Elize!"

"Knock it off, both of you" Kensei said harshly.

Shinji shrugged and turned to walk back up the stairs. Elize stormed off back to Lisa and Rose. "Feel better?" Lisa asked. Rose turned his head to look at her. Her face showed the obvious anger. "No, he's such a jerk" she replied.

"That's Shinji for ya; but you do realize he has a thing for you"

"Shut up Lisa. He does not"

"Don't believe me, ask Rose"

"Please leave me out of this" Rose replied and quickly moved away from them.

Elize groaned in irritation and lay back on the ground. "You seriously need laid, Elize" Lisa commented. She rolled her eyes at the comment and raised her hand to flip her off. Lisa laughed and threw her magazine at her. "Maybe that will help"

Elize just tossed the item in the other direction. Sex was the last thing she wanted. Hiyori and Love were training inside a barrier that Haichi had created using kido. She watched mindlessly and tried to drown out the thoughts of the winter war approaching. They had used precious time to help train Ichigo to control his hollow. His hollow seemed to scare her a little. After seeing what it did to Hiyori the first time it was unleashed, she tried to stay away from him most of the time; but he wasn't a bad guy when he was in control. Her eyes starred at the fake sky above her, loosing herself in memories and concerns.

Out of nowhere Mashido leaned over her, her green hair in her eyes. "Elize, what are you doing?" she asked almost whining. The piercing tone in her voice was irritating. She didn't know how Kensei could stand her as his lieutenant all those years ago. She rolled her eyes and got up from the ground. "Nothing at all" she replied and walked away. She climbed the metal staircase and saw Shinji lounging on the couch. She avoided his gaze in her direction and walked directly upstairs to her room that she shared with Lisa.

"What is up with her?" Kensei asked.

"Are you that dense?" Lisa asked.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Calm down" Shinji said sitting up.

He got up and started towards the stairs. He hesitated, wondering if he talked to her that she'd just punch him or something. He could only imagine what she was going through. Her reason for wanting revenge against Sosuke Aizen was more personal than anyone really knew; but as her captain at the time, he knew.

Aizen had used the poor woman and she really thought that he loved her. The hollowfication experiments started with her, because she was the closest to him. She was the second to the last to turn hollow. Shinji was impressed by how long she had suppressed it from taking control.

"Where is he going?" Mashido asked jumping onto Kensei's back.

"How the hell should I know? Get off me Mashido"

"You're so mean Kensei"

"Shut…up"

Shinji could hear the argument as he got to the top of the stairs. Before he could even get to her door, she bolted out and ran into him. "What the hell, Shinji. Watch where you're going" she cursed rubbing her forehead that had collided with his.

"Mind telling me what your problem is" he asked.

"Mind your own business"

Elize pushed passed him. "Is it about Aizen and the war?" he asked. She instantly stopped in her tracks and swiftly turned to slap him; but he caught her hand before she made contact. "Don't ever mention his name to me" she replied. It was obvious that he hit it right on the button. After over a hundred years, she was still hurt by Aizen's betrayal.

"I know what happened between you two"

"How could you know?"

"I'm not that stupid. I knew you tried to hide the relationship; but I did see you guys kiss the day before the incident"

"And we both know what happened from there"

"We all hate him Elize; but you can't dwell on the past"

"I know; but he's going to use the past against me. I just know it"

"Maybe; but your stronger than that. I've seen it"

"Physically stronger maybe; but emotionally, not so much. You didn't love someone only to find out that they used you for research"

She was right; he never had that happen to him. He held her hand tighter and moved it away from his face. "It's the past and it should stay in the past. You will get your revenge when the war starts; but you should tell the others what happened. They are worried about you, especially Kensei; even though he doesn't show it"

Elize looked at him with her blue eyes that held so much pain behind them. He smiled at her with his crazy sheepish grin and she laughed. "Babe, you should smile more often. It makes you even more beautiful"

"Shut up Shinji" she replied playfully punching him in the chest.

He watched her walk passed him and down the stairs. Kensei stood at the bottom with a questioning look upon his face. "Kensei" she whispered. His stern facial expression softened a little. "Are you really worried about this battle?" he asked. She took a deep breath and realized that she needed to tell him the truth about the past.

"Kensei, we are friends right?"

"Yeah, what kind of question is that?"

"Maybe it's time I told you"

"Told me what?"

She walked around him waved her arm for him to follow her.

**XxXx I know it's a slow start; but I'm curious to know what you all think. Don't hesitate to ask questions. XxXx**


	2. Chapter 2

**XxXx I apologize in the last chapter for the misspelling of Mashiro's name. I will correct it and repost the chapter. In the meantime here is chapter 2. I know this is a slow starting fan fic; but I hope that everyone sticks with me and as always please review XxXx**

Chapter 2

Kensei slowly followed Elize away from the main room and down to the training room. Hiyori and Love were coming out of the barrier as they approached. "All yours" Love said as he passed them. Elize pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and stepped inside the barrier.

"Why in there?" Kensei asked.

"It's the only place private"

Her back was to him. She couldn't bring herself to face him. Her emotions were betraying her and tears were burning the corners of her eyes. "Do you know why I was chosen for that mission?" she asked. His eyes widened a little, knowing what mission she was talking about. The thought never crossed his mind as to why; but he could guess. "My guess is it had to do with Aizen" he replied. She turned around and her eyes were glossy with tears, which surprised Kensei greatly.

"More that you know"

"What does that mean exactly?"

"When I was the seventh seat in squad ten I met Sosuke. He was a charmed back then and he congratulated me on my promotion, although I hadn't made my decision yet as to which squad I would become the third seat to"

"Right, I forgot that you had a choice between mine and Shinji's squads"

"Yeah and I was leaning more towards yours"

Her small confession startled him. He hadn't even met her yet and she had been leaning towards his squad. "I hadn't officially met you yet; but I had seen you several times and to be honest I was quite infatuated with you" she said with a smile, trying to force the tears to go away. Kensei was even more surprised by what she was telling him.

"Not even Shinji knew that; but Sosuke persuaded me to join squad five. He became close with me, giving me helpful tips and introducing me to a lot of people…"

She trailed off, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks. Kensei had never seen her so vulnerable and he didn't know what to do. He wasn't known for softheartedness. Mashiro always called him mean and heartless, and sometimes he wondered if she was right. "After a while his nice behavior had other motives. He began to flirt with me and it was really aggravating; but after a close call with a hollow it changed my outlook on him. We hid the relationship out of fear of being caught by Shinji"

"Did you love him?"

"Yes I did; but he used me without my knowledge for research and somehow convinced Shinji to take me on the mission"

Kensei watched Elize fall to her knees and allow the one hundred years of pain out in tears. He had no idea what Aizen had done to her. "You're wasting your tears, Elize. Aizen's scum and always has been" he commented; but it came out more harsh than he intended. She looked up at him and if looks could kill, he would have been dead.

"Mashiro is right, you are heartless. I told you everything about what Aizen did to me and all you can say is that I'm wasting my tears. I've been holding this in for over one hundred years, Kensei"

He didn't think she'd respond that way and now that she had, he felt bad about saying it. "I thought we were friends; but maybe I was wrong about that to" she said getting up from the ground and in a flash Kensei was in front of her. The look in his brown eyes seemed softer than usual. He hesitantly reached to touch her arm.

"Don't ever doubt our friendship. I just didn't know what to say" he admitted.

"Sometimes just listening is better than trying to give advice"

"I'll remember that"

He grinned at her and she wrapped her arms around him. He was stunned by her action to embrace him; but instinct took over and he gently wrapped his arms around her. He'd never known her to be fragile; but at that particular moment she was. Her small confessions of feelings for him all those years ago bore a small inkling of hope, that her desire for revenge hadn't consumed her completely.

She may never have said that she wanted revenge; but he knew. "You'll get your revenge; but there are other things that are better than revenge" he said softly against the top of her head. His words stuck something deep inside with her inner hollow. He suddenly felt her spiritual pressure increase and he immediately backed away from her.

Kensei could see Shinji running down the staircase and flash-stepped to the barrier. "Let me in, Haichi" he said urgently. Haichi did as he was asked and opened a small hole. Shinji entered and instantly got in front of Elize. Her hands were gripping her head, fighting her hollow counterpart for control. "What the hell is going on?" Kensei asked.

"She never had full control of her hollow. Kisuke could only do so much. She can't get overly upset or overly angry, otherwise the hollow tries to take control" Shinji explained.

"Why are you the only one that knows about this?"

"I was her captain…"

Shinji put both his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Elize, calm down" he pleaded. She shook her head as fragments of her hollow mask started to form on her face. He let go of her and she completed her mask. A thin star was at the center of the mask with two blue stripes across the eye holes. Her eyes glowed red and screamed with rage. "We need to break her mask" Shinji yelled to Kensei.

Before Shinji could move to grab his zanpakuto, Elize fired a cero. "Damnit" he cursed and quickly hollowfied. The force of the blast sent him back until he cut right through the middle. Kensei got around to the other side of her. He lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. The tip of his zanpakuto stuck into the forehead of her mask. It started to crack and then shatter.

Kensei got up and saw Elize open her eyes to look at him. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry Kensei. I didn't mean…" she was cut off by a hand over her mouth. "Elize, it's not your fault" he replied. Shinji started to walk towards her. Her eyes quivered. She shook her head, unbelieving that she had hurt him; but the blood tricking down his face was evidence.

"Shinji…  
"I'm fine, El"

"You're not fine. I did that to you didn't I?"

"Elize"

She took several steps away from them and ran out of the barrier. Lisa looked up from her magazine to see Elize run up the stairs. "What happened?" she asked. Elize couldn't even form words in her mouth; she just turned away and ran up the stairs to her room. Moments later, Shinji and Kensei walked up the stairs from the training room.

"What happened?" Lisa asked.

"It's nothing" Shinji replied.

"It doesn't look like nothing" Hiyori commented.

Shinji ignored them and continued to walk. Kensei wondered if Shinji had feelings for Elize. He always seemed to be protective of her and he always flirted with her. He groaned as he felt Mashiro cling onto him like a child. "Kensei" she whined. He rolled his eyes and tried to push her away.

Shinji stopped in front of Elize's door and knocked on the door softly. "Go away Shinji" she yelled. Her voice was muffled by the door. He ignored her words and opened the door anyway. She was sitting by the window; her eyes were glued to the glass. "I thought I told you to go away"

"Yeah…I didn't listen"

"Obviously"

"El, stop blaming yourself. This is just a scratch"

She turned her head to look at him. "I attacked you. That is not me, Shinji". He walked closer to her and knelt down in front of her. His hand moved to cup her cheek. She shifted her eyes to meet his concerned gaze. "This is not your fault. You've never been able to fully control the hollow inside you". Elize took a deep breath and let out a small sigh.

"It doesn't excuse me, Shinji. I attacked you and Kensei. How am I supposed to ignore that?"

"Concentrate on something better"

"Tell me what I have in my life that I could concentrate on? All I want is revenge against the man who ruined me"

"And you'll get it; but that's two months away"

"What do you suggest?"

"Find something or someone that stabilizes you, makes you forget for a time about your desire for revenge"

Shinji watched her expression change drastically. She looked almost confused. "I…I don't know how to" she replied. She was really starting to annoy him with her constant stubbornness. He removed his hand from her face and stood up.

"You do know how. You just don't want to let yourself. Do you not remember that I was once that stability for you?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked slightly blushing.

"So you really don't remember that hollow that damn near killed you when you first joined my squad"

"Yes I remember it. Sosuke saved me that night"

Shinji let out a sigh. _**"Of course that's what she would remember. Boy, Aizen did a number on you"**_ he thought. She tilted her head to the side and looked into his brown eyes. "Shinji, what don't I remember. Why don't I remember?" she asked almost yelling.


	3. Chapter 3

**XxXx Thank you for the reviews. I really appreciate them. After this chapter, I would like to know which one you would like to Elize end up with. There will be plenty of moments between Kensei and her along with Shinji and her throughout the story. So if you would like to wait to make your opinion that is perfectly cool to. Okay onto chapter 3, enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 3

Shinji looked on at her desperate plea. He didn't even know where to start if he told her the real truth. He didn't know why Aizen would go to such lengths to torture this woman. He wondered if he had also messed with her affections for Kensei as well. From what he remembered, she was about to join his squad not his; but at the last moment she had joined his instead. He could only guess that Aizen had made sure that was where she went. "_**Why her?"**_ he thought. He was just as confused as she was.

"Shinji…please tell me" Elize pleaded.

"You're not ready to hear this. You are far too upset and your hollow is about to take control again"

Elize touched the side of her face where her mask usually formed and felt the pulsing energy. He was right and she knew that she needed to calm down. Shinji turned away from her and stopped in the doorway. "Elize, you are special. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise" he said and walked out. His words dug deep into her mind and the memory of the hollow attacking her that night surfaced.

_**Flashback**_

_It was late when Elize arrived back at the fifth squad barracks. She pulled the lime green ribbon out of her hair and let her hair flow down her back; but the moment she touched the door to her room, she felt spiritual pressure of a hollow outside the Seireitei. Instinct took over and she took the opportunity to prove that she was capable to be more than a third seat someday._

_ When she arrived in the Rukon District, the hollow had a small child suspended in the air with its clawed hand. The hollow seemed more human like. It wasn't anything she'd ever seen before. The child screamed for help and she instantly pulled her zanpakuto from its sheath. Feeling her increased spiritual pressure, the hollow tossed the child to the ground, uninterested. Elize narrowed her eyes and prepared to battle._

_ The hollow screeched and swiftly lunged at her. __**"He's so fast"**__ she thought. Her sword met claws in a loud clash. At the time, she never knew that she had been cut by his claws; but blood gushed out of her forearm. She winced in pain; but stood her ground. The hollow slashed at her once again and she flipped her body out of the way._

"_Surge, Inazuma no sonzai" she called._

_ Her spiritual pressure grew as her sword transformed into two blades and both emitted tiny bolts of electricity. A long chain wrapped around both her wrists and forearms from the hilt of each blade. The hollow lunged again and again the claws clashed with her blades. The sparks of electricity shot through the hollow's body; but he remained unphased._

_ Before she could use her own attack, she felt claws digging into her flesh. She slowly looked down to see the hollow's claws had pierced her in the chest. Blood coated his hand and soaked into her black hakama. As the hollow pulled out the claws, she fell to her knees, defeated._

_ A screech rang through her ears and she waited for the finishing blow. Her eyes closed, unable to will herself to look death in the eye; until she heard metal against claws. Elize opened her eyes to see a blurred figure before her. When her vision cleared she saw Sosuke in front of her; but the image of him blurred once more and Shinji's figure replaced it._

_**End of Flashback**_

Elize had always believed that Sosuke had saved her that night; but now she wasn't so sure that he had. Never once did the memory blur and Shinji replace Aizen. She had no idea what was happening to her; but she knew that Shinji had the answers.

"Could Aizen have never saved me that night?" she asked herself.

Tears burned her eyes at the thought of that, even though she knew that he had used her from the very beginning. She turned to look out the window and saw that it had begun to rain. She opened the window and jumped out, landing on the ground feet first. The rain poured down upon her, soaking her; but she wanted to just escape from everything.

"Why are all my memories fuzzy?" she asked herself as she sat down on the curb.

Shinji walked down to the main room. Kensei looked up from the pot he was stirring. It was his turn to cook and Mashiro hovered over him. Lisa closed her swimsuit catalog to look at him. "Is she okay?" she asked. He had no idea how to explain it to them.

"She needs some space" he replied.

"Oh…okay"

Despite how she may seem on the outside, Lisa was a pretty considerate person about other people's feelings. Kensei turned the stove off and walked into the main room with the others. The smell of food made his stomach grumble; but he didn't like the idea of Elize not eating. "Is she coming to eat?" he asked.

Shinji looked at him softly. "I honestly don't know" he replied. Kensei glared at him, thinking that he was the reason she wasn't coming. He stormed off up the stairs and down the hall to the open door at the end. He peered inside and saw no one inside except the open window. "Damnit" he cursed and flash-stepped to the main room.

"She's gone" he said in a monotone voice.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Shinji asked with anger spiking in his emotions.

"The window is open"

"Christ, what the fuck is she thinking?" Hiyori snapped.

"Shut up Hiyori, you have no idea what that girl's been through" Shinji replied equally as harsh.

Kensei's emotions were starting to entwine with one another; but one thing was for certain, Shinji knew more than he led on and it pissed him off.

Elize ran a hand through her wet hair. She was still inside the barrier that was erected around the warehouse and could still sense the swirling of emotions from inside. Shinji and Kensei were both angry and she wondered if they were mad at each other. "This is all my fault. I'm such a burden to them" she said softly.

"Now why would you say that?" Kensei asked.

She looked up to see him standing in front of her. _**"How did I not notice his presence?"**_ she thought. The rain poured even harder than before. Droplets dripped off his chin over and over again. He held his hand out to her. She slowly took it and he lifted her up to her feet.

"Why in the hell would you come out here in this weather?" he asked.

"I needed to think; but it really didn't do any good. I'm still as confused as before, maybe even more so"

"What is going on with you?"

"Honestly, I don't know; but Shinji seems to know more than he's telling"

"I already came to that conclusion"

She looked up at him and his expression was cold and she wondered why he was acting so different than usual. Elize wanted to know if her memories of Kensei were fuzzy to. "Kensei" she said quietly. His eyes met hers questioning.

"What is your most fond memory of me?" she asked.

Her question completely stunned him. There were so many memories of her back then; but the one that stuck out the most was the night he had kissed her while she was being healed by the squad four's captain, Retsu Unahana. It was the first and only time they had shared a kiss. She wanted to stay friends; but after what she had told him about Aizen and her, he understood why she reacted that way.

"Kensei?" she asked wondering why he hadn't said anything yet.

"Elize, it was when Retsu was healing you after a battle with a menos…I kissed you after blaming myself for your injuries"

Elize's eyes widened. Another memory she didn't remember and it upset her even more. She remembered the battle with the menos, being healed by Retsu, and even Kensei being there; but nothing of him kissing her. "Why don't I remember?" she asked softly. Kensei's slight blush faded when he heard her say that she didn't remember.

"You don't remember?" he asked.

"No…and this isn't the first memory that I couldn't remember"

Kensei could see how torn she was and it pained him deep inside. _**"Damn you, Aizen"**_ he mentally cursed. He pulled her closer to him and urged her to walk back inside. Once inside the warm and dry warehouse, Elize felt her stomach grumble. Kensei looked down at her with a grin, obviously hearing her stomach growl.

"Go eat, I'll clean up tonight" he said with a slight smile.

"Thank you"

He watched her walk to the stove and grab a bowl. She poured the food into it and started to eat delicately. Kensei then realized that he wasn't the only one watching her. Shinji was gazing upon her from the other side of the room. Without thinking, he flash-stepped across the room to stand next to him.

"We need to talk, Shinji" he said harshly.

"I figured as much" Shinji replied closing his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**XxXx I'm so thrilled by the reception to this story. I wasn't sure that anyone would like such a dramatic emotion filled story. Well the voting still continues. The votes are as follows… Shinji: 1 and Kensei: 0. Also if you review with questions, I will answer them and all of them. I definitely don't mind answering questions. I also would like to know if you want to see any lemons in this story. Here is chapter 4, enjoy and as always please review. I don't own anything from bleach. I do however own Elize Tomoya and her story. XxXx**

Chapter 4

Elize filled her stomach with the delicious food Kensei had made. When she looked up, he was talking to Shinji in hushed voices. A chill filled her entire body and she knew that she needed to get out of her wet clothes. After placing her empty bowl in the sink, she walked upstairs to grab a warm shower.

"What is going on with her?" Kensei asked.

"I don't know for sure" Shinji replied.

"What do you mean? Why can't she remember a certain memory between us?"

"You to huh? Her memories were altered. Not just ones with me; but ones with you as well"

"Did that douchebag Aizen do that to her?"

"That would be my guess. He wanted her to believe that no one else cared about her"

Elize stood under the hot spray of water, letting it relax her tense muscles. She rubbed soap all over her body and stopped when she came to the scar on her shoulder. It was the injury that Retsu had healed after her fight with the menos. Her fingers touched the white piece of flesh that stood out on her tanned skin and relived the end of the battle.

_**Flashback**_

_Kensei carried Elize into the fourth squad. Retsu was waiting outside the door to the open treatment room. Although she had passed out from the pain in her shoulder, she could still hear everything. "Place her on the table" Retsu said. Her voice was calm and soothing. Elize had always admired her and soon she could feel the healing energies from the captain on her shoulder._

"_How bad is it?" Kensei asked._

"_The muscles and tendons are torn from the bone. This is going to take time"_

"_Damnit"_

_ He slammed his hand down upon the desk next to him. Retsu eyed him with a concerned gaze. "Out of curiosity, why are you with a member of squad five?" she asked and then she smelled the sake on Elize._

"_I was taking her home like a good friend would do and then a damn menos came out of nowhere as we were leaving the Rukon District"_

_ Elize's eyes fluttered open. She tried to smile at him, reassuring him that she was fine. This was where her memory would end; but it started to blur into something she didn't remember. Kensei walked to the other side of her and placed his hand on her cheek. "I'm sorry Elize" he said softly._

"_It's not your fault. I was careless" she replied._

"_If anyone was careless, it was me"_

_ Using her uninjured arm, she reached to touch his hand with her own. He leaned down and placed his lips softly onto hers. The action stunned her; but the feeling of his warm lips on hers sent her body on fire. Before she could even enjoy it, he pulled away hesitantly and turned away from her._

_**End of Flashback**_

Elize gasped for a breath of air and collapsed to her knees. She touched her lips, hoping to still feel them tingling; but they weren't. Her mind raced a million miles a second and all it did was confuse her even more.

"NO!" she screamed.

Her spiritual pressure increased drastically and alerted her comrades on the lower floor. "What the hell?" Hiyori asked reaching for her zanpakuto on her back. Shinji placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her." Shinji" she complained.

"Stay here" he replied and started to walk up the stairs.

Another screamed escaped her mouth as she tried to fight her inner hollow. Tears rolled down her cheeks effortlessly. She remembered Shinji's words from earlier. **"I used to be that stability for you"**; but he wasn't there. An image of Kensei came to mind and her heart skipped a beat.

"Elize" Shinji called outside the door.

Her eyes opened upon hearing his voice, forgetting about the image of Kensei. The water had become cold against her skin; but her body wouldn't obey to turn it off. When no answer came, Shinji kicked open the door. The shower curtain had blown open when her spiritual pressure increased. She was naked and crying for control.

Normally he would have enjoyed the sight of her; but not under the circumstances. He grabbed the towel hanging next to the shower and gently wrapped it around her. As soon as he touched her wet skin, the hollow faded and she regained control. "Thank you" she said without looking at him.

"Are you alright?" he replied.

"I think so"

Kensei stood in the doorway with a slight blush to his cheeks. "Are you okay, Elize" he asked. The moment she heard his voice, the memory of his lips on hers imprinted in her mind. Her state of undress was beginning to bother her. "Can I get dressed please?" she asked. They both nodded and turned to walk out of the bathroom. She followed and then turned down the hall into her room.

"Dumbass, you broke the door" Hiyori scolded as she made it up the stairs.

"I'll fix it" Shinji replied solemnly.

Hiyori was dumbfounded by his expression and tone in his words. Something was bothering him, she could tell. Kensei's facial expression was no better. If she didn't know better, she'd say they both had feelings for Elize. Inside Elize and Lisa's room, she was brushing her tangled hair, listening to Hiyori bitch about the broken bathroom door.

Her mind wandered. She wondered if those memories were the only ones that she had forgotten or were there more. The only person that knew something was Shinji and she was determined to get the answers one way or another. She pulled the hem of her blue sweater down over her stomach and slipped on a pair of black pants. She was still cold and she knew she couldn't stay in her room if she wanted to get warm.

Her hand turned the knob and opened the door. Shinji was fixing the bathroom door. Lisa walked passed to go into their room with a yawn escaping her lips. "Bed already Lisa?' she asked. Her friend turned to her and gave her a sly grin. "Yup" she replied with a wink. That could only mean one thing…she wanted some alone time with her dirty magazines. It was probably midnight because Hiyori was in bed along with Haichi, Rose and Love. She could sense Kensei and Mashiro downstairs, probably arguing like usual.

"Do you need some help?" Elize asked.

"No, I got it" Shinji replied no bothering to look at her.

"I see, well I thought I'd ask"

Elize turned and walked down the stairs. Shinji cursed himself for not excepting her help. She walked into the main room and saw Kensei washing dishes and Mashiro asleep on the couch. He looked up from the soapy water and met her gaze. "Do you want me to finish up" she asked.

"I'm almost done; but could you take Mashiro to bed. She fell asleep on the couch again?" he asked.

"Sure"

She moved towards the couch and gently placed her hands under Mashiro's body. Using her strength, she lifted her up and slowly walked up the stairs. Shinji was screwing the last screw into the wall to secure the door as she stepped into the hall. "Could you open her door for me?" she whispered. He turned and opened Mashiro's room that she shared with Hiyori.

Elize lay her down gently onto her bed and covered her with the blanket. She smiled at how peaceful both of them looked while asleep. She quietly tip-toed out of the room and silently closed the door. Shinji was picking up the tools he had used to fix the door. He avoided her gaze and walked downstairs with Elize on his heels.

Shinji put the tools into the closet by the exit of the warehouse. Kensei was drying his hands with a towel and then walked into the room. He sat down on the couch. The flames from the fire warmed his chilled hands almost instantly. "I'm going to bed, try not to burn the place down Kensei" Shinji said and turned away. He said nothing as he passed Elize. His actions were starting to upset her. Kensei pulled a leg up to his chest and starred into the flames, wondering if Elize would ever remember that memory. Retsu had confronted him the next day after witnessing the kiss.

_**Flashback**_

"_Captain Muguruma" Retsu said coming out of her office._

"_Retsu…" he replied._

"_I've been meaning to talk to you"_

"_About?"_

"_Elize"_

"_What about her?"_

_ He knew that he shouldn't have kissed Elize in front of her; but at the time he wasn't thinking straight. Retsu could easily tell the head captain about it and he'd be demoted for his actions. "I can see the look of worry on your face. Don't worry, I won't tell the head captain what I saw; but I must ask…do you care about her?" she asked. Kensei felt like he was being put on the spot._

"_She's been a really good friend for quite some time and after she got hurt because of my carelessness, I realized how much she actually meant to me"_

"_I see; but you do realize she's part of squad five"_

"_I am aware"_

_ She nodded and took her leave. Kensei stood frozen. He couldn't believe that he had admitted his feelings for Elize to a fellow captain. Although he felt that Retsu was just looking out for his own feelings, he couldn't shake the feeling there was something else behind it._

_**End of Flashback**_

With Retsu expressing concern that day, Kensei then realized that maybe Aizen was watching Elize at all times. No wonder he didn't want her to have that memory. His eyes moved from the fire to Elize's saddened face. Shinji had been distant to her ever since he broke down the bathroom door with her inside. Something was up with him and he was convinced it was because he had developed his own feeling for her while he was her captain.

**XxXx**

**Author's Note: Well there is chapter four. A huge mix of emotions isn't it? Well the next chapter will have a lot more fluffy moments; but still on topic of her altered memories. **

**Lexiful Sunshine: You're right Aizen isn't a very nice guy. Her background surrounds mostly from the memories she can't remember. Yeah I can't image finding out that I was used for a ulterior motive.**

**Leyshla Gisel: Definitely a battle of emotions for all of them. Elize is very hurt by everything that Aizen had done to her; but even more hurt by not remembering the memories she had with both Kensei and Shinji. **

**XxXx**


	5. Chapter 5

**XxXx This chapter is slightly longer than the other ones. I kind of got carried away while writing it. This is a special chapter for the Shinji/Elize voters. Don't worry Kensei voters the next chapter will be for you Please enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 5

Elize watched as Kensei got up from the couch. He walked directly towards her. Her body started to tense up and she felt nervous for the first time in a very long time. He deserved to know that she remembered the memory of him kissing her; but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She wanted to know more about what was happening to her and the only one that seemed to know something was Shinji.

"Maybe you should talk to him" Kensei said.

"But what about you?" she asked.

"I'm going to bed shortly anyway. See if you can get him to talk. You deserve some answers"

"Thank you, Kensei"

She gently touched his arm and then turned to walk up the stairs. Shinji loosened his tie from around his neck and slumped into his armchair. The rain was still pouring and it hit the windows with aggression. His ear perked when he heard a soft knock on his door and a very familiar spiritual pressure. "Come in" he called. The click of the door opening made him look up. Elize's sorrow filled face bothered him.

"What brings you to my room? You lonely or something?" he asked sarcastically.

His words angered her greatly; but she swallowed it down. She closed the door behind her stepping cautiously closer to him. His eyes never left hers and he followed her until she sat on the corner of his unmade bed. "Stop being a prick and tell me what's going on with me" she replied. Her fingers dug into the corner of the mattress to relieve some of the anger.

He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I don't know much of anything. It's just assumptions" he said slouching forward with his elbows on his knees. She didn't understand what was going on. "Why do I not remember some memories? You mentioned one and so did Kensei; and both of them I didn't remember"

"I believe Aizen altered them using some of the soul society's memory altering powder"

"Now what would be the point of that? It's only two memories"

"There is a lot more than two"

"What…?"

It made more sense to her now; but how many of them were gone. Aizen had messed with something even more personal than her heart. Shinji could see the sorrow spreading further within her. He feared the hollow inside her would try again. "We shouldn't be talking about this while you're upset"

"I remember…"  
"Remember what?"

"It wasn't Sosuke that saved me that night was it?"

"No…"

"It was you"

"Yes it was"

She ran a hand through her damp hair. "What else don't I remember?" she asked. Shinji couldn't bring himself to tell her anything. The memories she obviously had forgotten were too painful to talk about. "Not tonight its late" he said standing up from the chair.

"I'm not going anywhere until you give me some answers" she replied gazing up into his unreadable eyes.

"Elize, this isn't just hard on you. It's hard on me to and probably Kensei as well"

"Well at least Kensei told me that he had kissed me; even though I didn't remember it"

Shinji felt a stab straight into his heart. "Kensei kissed her. When?" he thought. It was pretty obvious now that he wasn't the only one who cared about Elize more than a friend. She stood up quickly and wrapped her hand around his tie; and then jerked him down to her level. "Why can't you be honest with me" she snapped. His lips were so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath on them.

She felt a warm sensation flood into her mind; the same sensation she felt when she recalled a forgotten part of a memory. Shinji watched her beautiful eyes darken and her expression go blank. He reached to unravel her hand from around his tie. As he touched her skin, he felt her body trembling. He knew something was happening to her, so he allowed his own feelings surface. He pulled her into his arms and held her close.

Elize was confused about what the vague images in her mind were showing her. Flashes of Shinji's smile and playful arguments; but the one that brought tears to her eyes was the flash of Shinji inching his lips to hers. Nothing she saw was any form of a conclusion and it made everything so much more confusing. _**"Had Shinji kissed me? If he did, why?"**_ she thought.

**Kensei's Room**

Kensei lay in bed starring at the ceiling. He could feel Elize's swirling spiritual pressure next door. He wanted to know what was going on, was he giving her the answers she wanted. The more he thought back on the day Retsu confronted him about Elize, the more he was starting to understand why she asked if he was aware that she was a member of squad five.

"It was a hidden meaning that she had known about Shinji's feelings for her" he whispered.

He didn't want to think about that. He rolled over onto his side and forced his eyes to close; but every time he did, an image of Elize was there. "After a hundred year, I still have feelings for her" he thought before sleep overtook him.

**Shinji's Room**

Elize felt a warm body holding her. Her eyes opened and she saw that she was in Shinji's arms. He looked down and saw the color had returned to her beautiful eyes. He reluctantly let go of her and took a step back away from her. "Are you okay? You kind of zoned out there" he asked. She tried so hard to force the tears to go away; but the harder she tried the more they pushed over her thresholds.

"Shinji I…"

"You what?"

"I saw flashes of things"

"Something must be triggering your memories to clear up"

She reached up to wipe tears from her eyes, feeling weak to be crying like that. He took her hands into his. "There is nothing wrong with crying. This is a difficult experience for you; but I'm glad it's happening now, instead of during the war. We need you focused for that". Looking at him then and seeing how close he was to her, made her think of the flash of their lips just inches apart.

"Don't worry. I'll be very much focused. I want my revenge"

"You will get it, I promise. After what he's done to you, I'll personally see to it"

Listening to his promise, her heart leapt. She wanted just one more answer before she went to bed, because the next morning she would be training. "You should get some sleep" he said stepping away from her. She was so tempting to him; but he was never one to push anything when it came to feelings.

"Just one more question…" she said grabbing his hand.

He smiled upon feeling her touch on his hand. "Sure, just one more" he replied. She had to know if he had kissed her. It just seemed to draw her further in. A blush tinted her tanned cheeks and he held in a chuckle, witnessing it. Again, she was starting to feel nervous; but she forced herself to remain calm.

"When I saw those flashes, there was one I really need an answer to; because it wasn't a complete memory"

"Okay…"

Shinji was worried about which one she'd ask about. There were so many that she no longer remembered. He looked into her ocean blue eyes and lost himself in them. "Shinji…did you…kiss me?" she asked hesitantly. His eyes widened. He could see the slight embarrassment on her face and it nullified the surprise.

"To honestly answer you, I need to know what other details you saw"

She sighed in disappointment and let go of his hand. Her actions worried him. _**"Didn't she want an answer?" **_he thought. Elize looked out the window at the rain that still continued to pour. "The only thing I saw was us playfully arguing about sake, me pulling your long hair; and you leaning close to my face, so I know the memory was from the soul society"

He knew exactly what she was talking about. The thought of that day made him smile. "We used to argue a lot about sake. You used to drink so much of it at Kyoraku's parties and come to work hung-over the next day. Lisa was such a horrible influence on you" he replied laughing. Elize watched him closely, listening to him speak of the memory she had forgotten; because of Aizen's cruelty.

"That day you came into work hung over and I decided to annoy the hell out of you. Aizen wasn't around; he was out on a mission in the Rukon District. We argued most of the day, which was extremely enjoyable. You pulled my hair because I told you that you were beautiful"

"I don't remember any of this…"

Her frustration was surfacing and her inner hollow was swirling inside. Shinji sensed the darkness defiling her spiritual pressure and it concerned him. "Maybe you should just go to bed, this is frustrating you. I can sense your hollow again" he suggested.

"You didn't answer my question yet"

"Elize…"

"Shinji, please, I need to know"

He wanted to tell her that he had, he really did; but in that moment he wanted to just show her instead. He sighed and sat back down in his armchair. She watched him; but never moved from her spot. "Later that night, you came into my office to tell me you were leaving for the night. I wished you goodnight and called you beautiful once more. You, of course, got pissed and threw a book at my head. Before you could throw another one, I got in front of you and grabbed your wrist. The tension between up us was ungodly immense and I leaned in to kiss you. I was waiting for you to turn your head or slap me with your other hand; but you never did"

Elize's eyes started to tear up again. She watched him struggle with the memory and that's when she knew that it hurt him just as much as it did her. He looked up from the floor and looked directly into her eyes. "I kissed you". His answer made her body tingle and curiously took over. She moved across the room and stood before him.

"Shinji"

"Hmm"

"Thank you"

"For what?"

"For answering my question"

"You're welcome, now maybe you should go to bed"

She giggled at his comment. She was beginning to think he was uncomfortable with her being in the room with him. "What the hell are you laughing at?" he asked raising an eyebrow. His defensive behavior made her laugh even more. "I'm sorry; but I can't help but think you are uncomfortable having me in here" she answered still laughing.

"I wouldn't say uncomfortable"

"Then what's your problem? Why do you want me to leave so bad?"

"I'm not going to answer that"

"And why the hell not?"

"Elize, let it go"

His voice was sterner that she was used to. He was always cheerful and rarely serious, unless it was about Aizen. "Fine…I'll go…" she replied and turned away from him. Before she even took one step, he grabbed her wrist and moved up her arm slowly stopping at her face. His delicate touched were starting to make her feel calm and warm.

"Shinji…" she whispered breathlessly.

The sound of his name roll off her tongue made him crave her. His fingertips touched her cheek and traveled through her damp hair. He wanted to kiss her like he had all those years ago. There was no fear in her eyes and he wondered if it was a silent confirmation; but he knew that he had to fight his desires for her.

"Please, just get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow" he said.

"Okay"

Elize turned away from him and started for the door. Her hand pulled the door open and whirled around. His eyes were still upon her. "Just so you know, you could have kissed me" she stated and then walked out of his room, closing the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

**XxXx Voting still continues until February 14****th**** so let me know who you want to see Elize end up with. Thank you so much for the reviews, It gives more inspiration and motivation to continue to write; but I must warn you…I've never really been a good writer with actions scenes, so please be gentle and any advice is greatly appreciated. Here is chapter 6, enjoy as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 6

Kensei walked out of his bedroom feeling even more tired than he did before he went to bed. His mind kept going back to the previous day. Elize not remembering him kissing her was beyond emotionally painful. As he rubbed his eyes trying to fully wake up, he walked straight into the closed bathroom door. "What the hell" he grumbled and then realized it was occupied.

"Are you okay, Kensei" Elize asked standing in her doorway.

She was dressed in nothing but a pair of really short black shorts and a tight white tank top. He could see the form of her harden nipples through her shirt and it sent a pleasurable spark straight down to his manhood.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just still tired, I guess" he replied hoping he didn't sound turned on.

He turned his gaze away from her. She was such a turned on dressed that way. Elize stepped out of her room and closed the door behind her; because Lisa was still asleep inside. Her bare feet padded across the cold concrete floor until she was inches away from Kensei. "Hey, would you train with me today?" she asked hopeful.

"Sure" he simply stated still not looking at her.

She noticed that he was avoiding looking at her. "Thanks, I'll see you down there in an hour" she replied and pivoted away from him. He heard the door open and close; and then he let out the breath he held. His body slowly started to calm down as Shinji walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Now this is awkward" Shinji said looking at Kensei's flustered expression.

"Yeah…"

Shinji walked passed him with a laugh. Kensei instantly stepped into the bathroom. He turned the knobs and water started to pour from the showerhead. Once it was hot enough, he stripped out of his clothes and got under the spray of water.

Elize found her favorite black rippled skirt and slipped it on. The bottom of the skirt came to her mid-thigh. Her brown leather belt hung loosely around her hips. Her hand reached to clasp her lime green bra together in the front. She reached for her white tank top; but she felt nothing by bed sheets. Her eyes scanned the floor and her bed; but it wasn't there.

"Looking for this?" Lisa asked holding her shirt in her hand.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Wondering why you are dressing so sexy, if you're training today?"

A slight blush crept to her cheeks and warmed them. Flustered, she grabbed her shirt from Lisa's hand and quickly put it on. Lisa chuckled at her friend's obvious nervousness. Elize sat down on her bed and zipped up her boots that came to her knees. "So who are you training with today? Shinji?" she asked baiting her for answers.

The mentioning of his name brought back the previous night to mind. She wanted to remember the memory he had spoken of. She wanted to remember him kissing her; but all she got were just agonizing flashes, just fragments of things that had happened. "No, Kensei actually" she replied.

"Oh I see; but why dress up for him, unless…."

She stopped herself mid-sentence; but Elize caught her. "Unless what?" she asked standing up. Lisa's eyes expressed emotions long held inside. "Unless you remembered the kiss" she finally replied. Elize was stunned; but in a sense wasn't. It was no surprise Lisa would know about it, she was the best at spying on other people.

"I got to go" Elize said walking away.

Lisa just smiled realizing the she did remember it. Elize made her way into the main room. Shinji was eating breakfast on the couch watching TV. Kensei wasn't in the room and she wondered if he was in the training barrier. "Where is Kensei" she asked. Shinji rolled his eyes at her question. _**"Is this her way of making me jealous?"**_ he thought. His eyes glanced on her. Her outfit was extremely sexy and he wondered why she was wearing it to train.

"Why the hell are you dressed like that?" he asked standing up.

"Oh come on, not you to" she replied rolling her eyes annoyed.

"Are you that upset about last night?"

His words triggered her inner hollow to stir. "You are the one who didn't act on what I put in front of you" she answered hoping it didn't sound as sexual to him as it did to her. He was slightly hurt by her reply. _**"Had she really wanted me to kiss her last night?"**_ he thought again.

"So this is your way to make me jealous, to dress like that and train with Kensei?"

"Why would you get jealous?"

He was surprised by her naïve answer_**. "Was she really that blind?"**_ he asked himself. "Never mind, he's down in the training room". He turned his back to her to hide his anger and hurt. She didn't want to leave him like that; but she knew that he wouldn't talk to her while he was in that mood. "I'm sorry Shinji, I didn't mean to upset you" she replied; but he never acknowledged her. She slowly walked passed him and disappeared down the stairs. He slumped back down into the couch and covered his face with his hand, trying to hide the obvious anger.

Elize stopped at the barrier. Kensei was stretching out and she smiled upon seeing his relaxed expression. She wanted to tell him that she remembered him kissing her and she wanted to forget Shinji's behavior towards her just moments beforehand. "Open up please, Haichi" she said with a bright smile. "Of course" he replied. He snapped his fingers and an opening appeared.

Kensei looked up from the ground and his eyes went wide almost instantly. He couldn't believe what she was wearing to train in._** "I'm going to need some serious control"**_ he thought as he stood up. Her skirt flowed around her body as her spiritual pressure swirled around her. He hadn't realized that his mouth was slightly open; but she noticed he was staring at her.

"You look like you're catching flies" Elize said with slight sarcasm.

He quickly closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes at her. "So this is your attempt in trying to beat me?" he asked moving his hand up and down, suggesting her clothing. A cocky smile spread across her lips. "I don't need to dress sexy to beat you Kensei" she replied. He smiled at her smart ass comment; that was the Elize he had grown to care about so much.

She reached for the hilt of her zanpakuto. "Ready?" she asked pulling her sword from its sheath. He nodded and in a split second she was at him. His knife clashed with her unreleased sword. Her hair fell into her eyes and the look she expressed made her even more beautiful to him. Elize twirled her body and slashed again. Kensei had memorized her fighting style years ago. _**"She's an open book"**_ he thought.

As she moved to strike again, she lifted her knee for a kick. Kensei blocked her sword strike; but failed to see her knee come up to catch him under his chin. The force behind it pushed him halfway across the room. His eyes caught a glimpse of her panties as her leg returned to its original position.

"Wow, you actually caught me off guard" he teased.

"Cocky much?"

"No, you're just usually an open book when you fight"

"Oh really"

"Yeah"

"Then maybe we should change that"

Kensei watched her as she positioned her zanpakuto to release its Shikai. He hadn't seen her released zanpakuto in over fifty years. She always said that she hated the memories it brought; but the fact was, all the memories she remembered were ones with Aizen.

"Surge, Inazuma no sonzai" she called.

Her sword transformed into two blades. The chains around her wrists and forearms clanked against each other as she moved. The sparks of electricity surged around both blades. The one thing he did know about Elize's Shikai, was that it was unpredictable in strength. She felt the power of her zanpakuto course through her veins and then suddenly disappear. Kensei looked on as her zanpakuto reverted back to its dormant state.

"What the hell?" she asked completely dumbfounded.

She called its name again; but nothing happened at all. Kensei relaxed and took a step closer to her. "Elize" he said in a concerned voice. She looked up at him utterly confused. "I don't understand what happened" she whispered. _**"I'm not going to obey if your mind isn't focused"**_ her zanpakuto spoke.

"What?" he asked.

"She doesn't want to obey if my mind isn't focused"

"It's true with most zanpakuto's, you should know that"

"You're right"

She replaced her sword back into its protective sheath and turned to walk away. "Elize" he called and her body instantly stopped moving. Tears began to sting her eyes. "I shouldn't have asked you to train with me. I was such a disappointment". Kensei hated when she talked down about herself. Before she could blink, he was in front of her.

"You are not a disappointment; remember you actually hit me today"

"I know"

"Oh and by the way, I saw your panties"

She knew he was trying to cheer her up; but a blush crept to her warm cheeks as she remembered what she was wearing. He continued to stare at her until she finally broke out into laughter. "That's better" he said with a slight grin forming on his face.

"Kensei, I need to tell you something"

"What?"

Elize took a hold of his hand and he gripped back tightly. "I remember" she admitted with a sweet smile. It took him a moment to register what she meant. "You remember it now?" he replied in a hushed whisper. Her smile grew brighter and nodded a confirmation.

"What else don't I remember?"

"That was the only moment that crossed the friendship line; because you still remember all our conversations and parties we went to right?'

"Of course, we used to laugh out asses off and drink Lisa under the table"

"Damn right we did"

Elize continued the laugh at the memories until she fell onto the ground holding her abdomen. Shinji stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching them. Her happiness dug into him. He knew that he had blown a chance with her the previous night; but wasn't about to give up on her. There were just too many memories that she didn't remember that were critical.


	7. Chapter 7

**XxXx Okay this is the longest chapter yet and will feature appearances of a few familiar faces and semi-long flashback from the past, not to mention lots of tension. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far; because I'm enjoying writing it for all of you. Here is chapter 7 and as always please review. XxXx**

**Warning: Very slight sexual content**

Chapter 7

"Shinji!" Hiyori yelled.

He turned and walked back up the stairs to see what she wanted, which was usually nothing important. Kensei pulled Elize back up to her feet. He wanted to kiss her again; but he knew just one kiss would never be enough. He was already fighting his desire for her.

"We should probably head in to see if lunch is ready" she said.

"Yeah I guess. Lead the way"

As she walked, Kensei continued to stare uncontrollably at her backside. The sway of her hips and the way her skirt rode up as her legs moved made his pants begin to feel painfully tight against him. Elize felt like there were eyes on her and she giggled just thinking about the possibility that Kensei was staring at her.

"Are you staring at my ass, Kensei?" she asked with a cocky grin.

"Nope, don't flatter yourself" he replied hoping he didn't sound laughable.

She didn't believe him for one second; but continued to walk up the stairs to the main room. The smell of food fluttered over her nose and her stomach started to grumble. Shinji looked up from his plate of food and saw Elize's smile. Without saying a word he got up and took his food with him to his bedroom.

Lisa and Mashiro looked concerned as they heard the door slam shut. Shinji's actions were the confirmation Kensei was looking for. Shinji did indeed have feelings for Elize.

"Is he going to be okay?" Mashiro asked looking at Kensei.

"How the hell should I know?" he replied.

His voice was bitter and harsh. Elize was surprised to hear it. _**"Are they seriously jealous**_ _**of each other? Why?"**_ she asked herself. Lisa looked at her best friend with concern and Hiyori gave her a piercing death glare. A glare from Hiyori meant you needed to fix the problem right then and there.

Kensei knew Elize was upset by Shinji's actions, it was written all over her face. The thought of her going up to his room to talk to him was unnerving. Mashiro clung onto him like always and it frustrated him greatly. Nothing was easy anymore when it came to Elize and looking at her at that particular moment, he could see that she felt like an outcast.

"I'm going to go out for some air" Elize said.

Before anyone could say anything, she was gone. Kensei and Lisa shared a silent glance, while the others looked on completely confused. "Maybe it's time they knew" Kensei told Lisa. All she could do was agree. The tension between the group was thick and it wasn't something they needed preparing for war against their most hated enemy.

"What don't we know?" Hiyori snapped.

Kensei took his time explaining Elize's past with Sosuke Aizen and her most intimate memories being altered; and then explained what happened in the training barrier with her zanpakuto. "What an idiot" Hiyori grumbled. He said nothing in Elize's defense; because deep down he felt that she was stupid for believing anything Aizen had said to her.

Shinji lay on his bed listening to the argument downstairs. Now that the rest of the group knew about Elize's past, things were going to become even more tense. He couldn't sense her in the barrier anymore and he wondered where she went.

Elize stood in front of Kisuke Urahara's small shop at the edge of Karakura Town. She needed answers and she felt that Urahara would know what was going on with her. She didn't want to see anyone else besides Kisuke, so she pumped out a fairly decent amount of spiritual pressure that he would recognize.

"Well what an unexpected surprise" Kisuke said walking out of the shop.

Her spiritual pressure swirled around them. Her hair whipped around, framing her body. Kisuke gave her a warm smile. "Something is wrong with me" she replied. He lifted his head up so she could see his eyes from under his green and white stripped hat. "Come inside". She followed him inside. Her eyes scanned her surrounding, finding them to be pretty different since the last time she saw him.

A young girl with round violet eyes and long black hair pulled up into pigtails, sat a tray of tea onto the small round table. She seemed almost emotionless at first glance; but the harder Elize looked, the more she saw the hidden emotions in the small girl.

"Thank you, Ururu" Kisuke said taking his cup of tea.

"Here you go, Miss" Ururu said quietly handing her a cup.

"Thank you" she replied taking the cup into her hands.

Once the little girl was out of the room, Kisuke turned his attention to Elize. "What's going on?" he asked. She took a sip and swallowed the sweet liquid. "Where do I start? I lost control the other day and attacked Shinji and Kensei; and now I feel like the hollow could take over at any time". He knew of her unique problem with her inner hollow; but he didn't know what the trigger was, unless it was the same as before.

"Is the trigger still Aizen?"

"Not always. Lately it's been when my emotions become conflicted. I just learned that some of my memories have been altered by Sosuke"

"Yes, I know. Shinji came to me a few months ago about it"

"What!"

"Has anything else happen?" he asked trying to keep her mind off anger.

"My zanpakuto won't obey me"

She watched as he stood up. "Come with me" he said and she followed him into his underground training chamber. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked confused. The former captain of the Kido Corps stood before them, Tessai Tsubabishi. "Tessai…" she whispered.

"Nice to see you to, Elize" he replied.

"We need to unlock those memories; otherwise the hollow is going to continue to emerge more often. Your zanpakuto knows of the problems you are dealing with and is probably against you fighting in this confused state"

"Is that why she didn't want to obey?"

"Probably"

Shinji noticed that Elize still hadn't returned to the warehouse and it had been several hours. Something was going on and he needed to find out what. He stormed out of his room and into he main room. The others stared at him cautiously. "Where is Elize?" he asked.

"Still not back yet" Hiyori snapped.

He could tell she was upset with him for keeping Elize's past a secret from her. Kensei balled up his fists and pushed Mashiro away from him. "She took off after you childishly stormed to your room upon seeing her with me" Kensei spat. Shinji's eyes narrowed. Kensei's feelings for her were becoming even more obvious to him. "Maybe you shouldn't have kissed her" he argued.

"Wait Kensei, you kissed Elize? Awe when?" Mashiro asked quickly sitting up.

"It was over a hundred years ago and she didn't even remember it until yesterday"

Mashiro quickly quieted down. She felt sorry for her former captain. She watched as her friends argued about Elize. It was obvious, even to her, that they both cared a great deal about her. Lisa watched closely, wondering who was in the right and who was in the wrong. She was the only one that knew what happened between Elize and Shinji, besides Shinji himself; but she also knew that there was one other memory that no one knew about Elize, including Elize herself.

Elize sat down on the ground, waiting for Kisuke to bring the items he needed. Her mind ran circles around the idea of having her memories returned and maybe her mind would remain focused enough to fight Aizen for her revenge. Kisuke approached and she quickly stood back up. "Okay, this is going to take some time. One memory every other day, otherwise your mind will burn out. Tessai is here in case your hollow decides to make an appearance"

"Okay, I understand. Thank you Kisuke"

"Anytime Elize"

He placed a helmet like hat on her head and suctioned the sides to her temples. The suctions felt warm on her skin and her eyes felt heavy. A black fog encased her vision until a light seeped through the dismal darkness. In front of her eyes, was the memory Shinji explained to her.

_**Flashback**_

_ Elize groaned and rubbed her temples, trying to relieve the ache in her head. "Maybe going out with Kensei and Lisa last night wasn't such a good idea" she told herself when she walked into the Captain's office looking for Sosuke. His desk was empty except for the stacks of paperwork._

"_Good morning, Elize" Shinji yelled from behind her._

_ She cringed at the volume of his voice. Shinji noticed how her hands automatically came to her ears. A sly grin appeared on his face. "You're hung-over again I see" he taunted. She turned to look at him. Her beautiful ocean blue eyes stared right at him. "I'm sorry Captain. I was hoping Lieutenant Aizen was here so I could work in the quiet of the office today"_

"_He's in the Rukon District on a mission from central forty-six- today; but feel free to do his work if you like"_

"_Thank you Captain"_

"_Call me Shinji, Elize. How many times do I need to tell you that?"_

"_Right, sorry"_

_ She turned toward Sosuke's desk and sat down. Shinji watched as she quickly started into the large piles of paperwork. He walked over to the corner of the room and turned on one of his jazz records. The sound of music echoed in her ears and her head started to throb against her temples. "Could you please turn that down, sir" she asked politely._

"_Nope"_

"_Shinji please, my head is killing me"_

"_Oh alright, since you asked nicely"_

_ Instead of turning the volume down, he turned it up. Elize covered her ears with her hands. "TURN IT DOWN!" she yelled, anger and annoyance edged her voice. Shinji laughed and turned the volume down. He could see the annoyance in her eyes and started to close the distance between them. "Oh those eyes" he cooed. She fought to remain calm; but a faint blush tinted her cheeks; she could feel the warmth on her skin._

_ The rest of the day was filled with playful arguments and pushed limits. Elize took the last twenty papers and started to work on them. Shinji hovered over her to see if she was doing them correctly. His closeness was making her slightly uncomfortable; but in a good way. His long hair hung over his shoulder and brushed against her face. She was surprised by how soft it was._

"_It looks good to me" he stated._

"_Okay…"_

_ She was distracted by the softness of his hair and the scent of his masculine body so close to hers. "Elize…" he said, his voice was hushed in a whisper. She snapped out of her trance and backed away. He chuckled at her obvious 'out of comfort' behavior. "You are beautiful when you look like that". A comment like that from her Captain was so unexpected and it frustrated her. She reached for his hair and yanked down._

"_Ouch, ouch, ouch; what the hell Elize?"_

"_Don't call me that again, it's so unprofessional"_

_ She let go of his hair and then got up. "I'm going to gather my things". She grumbled to herself as she moved down the hall. Her arms carried her books and her legs carried her mindlessly back to the Captain's office. Shinji was sitting at his desk working on a report. _

"_I'm going home for the evening" she said._

"_Okay, goodnight beautiful" he replied with a smile and a wave._

_ She took on her books and threw it at him. The hard book smacked him in the forehead. "Jesus Elize, take a compliment" he complained. Her hand reached to throw another one; but he flash-stepped in front of her. He took the book from her hand and tossed it to the floor. Her eyes blinked several times, wondering what he was going to do. The tension between them had been immense all day. She felt his hand touch her arm and slide up her shoulder, neck, and then cup her cheek._

"_You are beautiful no matter what you think"_

"_Shinji…"_

_ He leaned down and stopped just inches from her lips, watching her reaction. Butterflies bounced all through her stomach. __**"Is he going to kiss me?"**__ she thought. She showed him no resistance and he closed the small gap between their lips. The feel of his soft lips on hers was erotic and it ignited a fire through her entire body like a match to gasoline. Her hand gripped the white material of his Captain's Haori pulling him closer to him._

_ Their lips parted for a moment for air and he closed the gap once more. His hand roamed her body, touching her sides and brushing a fingertip over a covered nipple. She moaned softly into the kiss and it only turned him on more; because she could feel his growing arousal against her belly._

_ He reluctantly pulled away, leaving her breathless and her hair tangled. Her eyes opened and met his smile. A blush immediately tinted her cheeks red. "Goodnight Elize" he said. She was stunned by what had just happened; but submitted to leaving._

_**End of Flashback**_

Elize's eyes opened quickly. Her heart was racing and her body was buzzing with excitement. She looked around and saw that she was inside a barrier. "Did I change?" she asked herself. Kisuke stood at one of the barrier walls. "Yes, you did. No one was hurt. Did it work?" he asked. Her smile returned. "One memory down, god only knows how many left"

"Don't get discourages. This will take time"  
"Okay"


	8. Chapter 8

**XxXx Thank you so much for all the reviews and favorite adds. I'm very happy with the turnout of this story so far. Keep in mind the voting of who you want to see Elize end up with continues until February 14****th**** so be sure to vote, if you haven't already. As of right now the votes are Shinji: 3 and Kensei: 0. Here is chapter 8, enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

**Warning: Slight Sexual Content**

Chapter 8

"Alright, does anyone know a place where she'd go" Shinji asked, his tone was loud and full of worry.

Lisa looked at him with a guilty expression; but he caught on real fast. "Lisa, do you know something?" he asked calmer that the last time. She didn't know if she should spill a secret of Elize's to him without permission to do so. Kensei turned from Mashiro to look at Lisa's conflicted expression.

"Lisa, please" Mashiro asked almost begging.

She let out a sigh in defeat. "She told me that she always felt at home with Kisuke Urahara" she replied. Shinji knew that wasn't the whole truth; but he'd let it go for the time being. He picked up his zanpakuto from the table and turned to face his fellow vizards. "Who wants to come with me?" he asked.

"There is no need. I'm right here" Elize said standing at the entrance of the warehouse.

The group looked at her, surprised that they never felt her approach. Kensei was angry that he never felt her presence; but then he realized how much more focused she was at that moment. _**"Had Kisuke done something to her?"**_ he thought. Her eyes shimmered with energy and it freaked him out a little.

"Elize, what the hell did you think you were doing?" Hiyori snapped.

"Oh calm down, don't get your panties in a bunch" Elize replied.

"What did you say?"

Hiyori went to lunge at her; but Rose and Love held onto her arms. Shinji stared at her, searching for an explanation to her new focus and attitude. Kensei could believe the difference in attitude since earlier that morning. "What happened, Elize?" Lisa asked before Kensei could even open his mouth.

"I went to see Kisuke. I needed help and we all knew it. The altered memories are like a seal for my spiritual pressure. When they are unlocked, I'll be back to my old self again and I'll be finally able to get my revenge"

"So he's training you to; because you seem more focused than this morning?" Kensei asked.

"In a sense, yes"

"Well I for one am glad she's getting help. She's the weakest of us. Now maybe she'll be worth something" Hiyori interrupted.

"Hiyori, that wasn't very nice" Mashiro replied.

"No, it's alright. She's right. I am the weakest; but keep in mind that with one memory restored, my strength has doubled"

"A memory was restored?" Shinji asked.

"Yes. I have to see Kisuke once every other day and only one memory at a time or my mind will burn out" she replied.

Shinji was beyond curious about which memory was restored. _**"Was it one about us?"**_ he thought. She smiled at him and sat her zanpakuto on the table; and then walked over to the kitchen. Her hands started to pick up ingredients to make dinner. Not one of them could say anything about her obvious changes; because not one of them hated what she was doing. Shinji walked over to Lisa and pulled her to the side, hoping for a complete answer from her.

"What do you know about her? I know you weren't completely honest earlier" he asked quietly.

"It's not my place to say, Shinji; not even she remembers"

"What are you talking about?"

"I was in the world of the living when central forty-six issued that the memory be erased from the entire soul society"

"What memory?"

"I can't, Shinji. It's best if she doesn't know. It's best if everyone doesn't know until the war is over"

Shinji looked on, wondering what could be so bad that everyone's memory was wiped clean of it, except Lisa's. The smell of food cooking brought them back to the others. Dinner was eaten with friendly gossip and arguments. The sun set and darkness set in. Mashiro yawned and slowly walked up to bed. Love and Rose fought over the latest issue of 'Shonen Jump' magazine.

"Elize" Kensei said from across the couch.

"Yeah"

"Can you handle the restored memories and the power that goes along with it?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm concerned for you. Kisuke helped us, yes; but I still don't fully trust the man"

"He's a good guy. He treats me like family and he's willing to help me. All I am here is dead weight"

"How could you say that? You are one of us. We are your family"

"You have a funny way of showing it"

"Is this about Hiyori?"

She said nothing else; but the look in her eyes suggested that he was right. Her eyes gazed at Shinji. The memory of him kissing her was at the front of her mind and she wanted to talk to him about it. She turned back to face Kensei. "I need to talk to Shinji" she said.

"Why would I care if you talked to him?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you care about me"

"Of course I care, I'm your friend"

"Kensei, you know what I mean. You kissed me over a hundred years ago and it was altered by Aizen. I can't imagine how you felt when I couldn't remember it"

He got up and saw Rose and Love head upstairs. _**"Probably going to bed"**_ he thought. "We'll talk about that another time. I'm really tired". She was hurt by his evasiveness. The fact that Shinji and Kensei both did the same things to her when they wanted to avoid something was very aggravating to her.

Elize walked over to the sink. She pulled out all the dirty dishes and started to fill the sink with soapy water. Hiyori said nothing to her as she walked passed to head up the stairs. Her hands worked to scrub the food off the pans and plates. "Hey, I'm heading to bed" Lisa said with a yawn.

"Okay, I'll be quiet when I go"

"Okay, goodnight"

"Night"

Shinji approached cautiously. She turned her head in his direction and smiled. "What?" she asked placing the last washed dish in the drainer. "Are you okay?" he asked knowing that wasn't what he was going to ask her.

"I'm fine. I feel a lot better than I have been"

"That's good"

"Why did you go to Kisuke about my memories a few months ago?"

The question startled him; but she did deserve an answer to it. "Everything was just so different about you. Things you should have known, you didn't; and the others were noticing to, so I went to him hoping he had some answers" he replied. Elize believed him. The equipment Kisuke had used on her was new.

"It's okay. I'm not mad. I was just curious as to why"

"We were worried about you"

"I appreciate that; but now things are looking up. One memory had been restored and in another day, I'll be able to go back"

"Despite what Hiyori said earlier, we are proud of you and you will always be one of us"

"Thank you. I'm going to grab a quick shower; my hands are all gross from doing dishes"

He laughed a little and stepped aside. She walked passed him and climbed the stairs two at a time. He walked around the room shutting every light off and making sure all the doors were secure before going to his bedroom. The sound of running water made him stop. His mind thought about Elize in the shower. He had to shake his head to stop thinking about it; otherwise he'd be walking around with a hard-on.

Once inside his bedroom, he kicked off his shoes in the corner and took his tie off. He un-tucked his black button down shirt from his khaki pants. He sat down in his armchair and ran a hand through his hair, listening to the water running next door.

Elize rinsed her hair from the shampoo and turned the knobs off. Water dripped down her tanned skin as she reached for her towel. The softness of the towel soaked up the water from her body and from her long hair. She slipped on a pair of panties and black shorts. Her hand took her brush and started to brush through the tangles. After her hair was clear from tangles she put a dark green tank top on and walked out of the bathroom.

Her eyes looked downstairs and saw that all the lights were off. She turned and looked at Shinji's closed door. Sensing his spiritual pressure inside, she knocked on the door softly. He opened the door seconds later, as if he was waiting for her.

"Hey" he said,

"Hey, can we talk?"

"Of course"

He allowed her inside and closed the door behind them. She sat down at the edge of his bed. The scene was like déjà vu to her, remembering their first conversation they had in his bedroom. He sat down in the armchair across from her. "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked. She bit the inside of her cheek nervously.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me what memory was restored"

"I wanted to; but I figured if you wanted to talk about it, you'd come on your own"

"It was the memory you explained to me"

"So you remember it completely now?"

"Yes; and I never realized how much arguing we did back then"

A laugh escaped her throat and he grinned at her happiness. Her wet hair clung to her skin and leftover water droplets rolled down her neck and in-between her breasts. "Yeah…" he replied obviously distracted. She noticed exactly what he was staring at and she rolled her eyes at his pervertedness.

Shinji, please stop staring at my boobs"

"Can't help it…"

"Am I still beautiful to you?"

He snapped out of his trance when he heard her question. "How can you ask me that? Of course you're still beautiful to me" he replied. The look in her eyes continued to draw him in. He got up from the chair and saw down next to her on his bed. Shinji cupped her cheek and her eyes silently begged him to kiss her.

"Shinji…"

"Hush"

He leaned in slowly, savoring what was to come; but she jerked her head up to press her lips onto his. Her sudden boldness surprised them both; but the feeling was intense. Her lips brushed against his over and over. He slipped his tongue between her parted lips. The metal of his piercing was cold against the warmth of her tongue. His hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, cradling it gently.

A soft moan escaped her throat as she pressed herself against him. His other hand gripped her hip, holding her against his body. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled herself onto his lap, straddling him. His lips sucked in her bottom lip before making a wet trail down her neck with his tongue.

He pulled his hand away from the back of her head and placed the now free hand over her right breast. He began to knead the round mound of flesh as he nipped at the skin around her collarbone. Another moan escaped and her body moved against him, grinding against his growing erection. The feeling of his hardening cock against her covered core was maddening.

He wanted her in more ways than one; but not without her having all of her memories, it just wrong. Shinji pulled away from her. Lust filled her eyes and it just added to her beauty. "Why did you stop?" she asked. She didn't understand why he had stopped. She could feel how hard he was between her legs.

"Believe me, I want you; but not like this, not when you don't remember everything from the past"

It made sense to her and he was right; she didn't remember everything. She got off his lap and adjusted herself before standing up. Her legs were kind of shaky; but she ignored it. "I understand, goodnight Shinji" she said beginning to walk away. "Goodnight, El" he replied. Outside of his room, she let out a sigh and slowly walked to her own room.

Kisuke sat in his room holding a photograph of a little girl with black hair and ocean blue eyes. He could sense Tessai entering; but ignored it. "When do you plan to tell her the truth?" Tessai asked looking at the same photo in his friend's hand. Kisuke ran a hand over his face.

"How can I tell her? The soul society wiped that memory from everyone's mind. She wouldn't believe me"

"When central forty-six were killed, the memory should have returned to everyone"

"It should have; but it only came back to us, no one else"

"She deserves to know"

"Elize has a lot of things to deal with and she doesn't need to know that on top of everything else. It would destroy her"

Tessai looked on at his pained friend; but spoke so more on the subject. _**"One day my**_ _**friend you are going to have to tell her that you are her father"**_ he thought leaving Kisuke to his thoughts.

**XxXx Wow this took me quite a while to write and I rewrote twice it before posting this. Let me know what you think. XxXx**


	9. Chapter 9

**XxXx God I'm overwhelmed with the reception of this story. I'm so pleased with the amount of reviews I've received since posting this story back in January; because I honestly didn't know if anyone was going to like it. Well here is chapter 9, enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 9

Elize woke up bright and early the next morning. She felt well rested and content. It was a beautiful day to go for a run and she quickly dressed in a pair of gray jogging pants and an elastic blue tank top. She opened the small drawer of her nightstand and pulled out her IPod. She quietly walked out of her room so as not to disturb Lisa across the room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kensei's voice echoed behind her.

"I'm going for a run. Do you want to come?" she asked.

"I think I'll pass"

She took in a breath in surprise. _**"Was he really that mad at me?"**_ she thought. "Just be careful" he said again and turned away from her. He walked downstairs and she slowly followed, trying to figure out how to fix the rift between them. She looked around, seeing that no one else was awake yet.

"Kensei, are you mad at me?" she asked.

He turned his head in her direction. The look on her face made him feel guilty. She was genuinely upset with the thought that he was angry with her; but the reality was, he was kind of was angry with her. She brushed off his advances like they were nothing. His silence was even more painful than an answer to her. "Fine, I understand" she whispered.

She turned and walked out of the warehouse. Kensei clenched both his hands into fists and then walked down to the training room to relieve some of the anger he felt. Elize put in her ear-buds and pushed the play button. She began to stretch her legs as the song 'Hearts burst into Fire' by Bullet for my Valentine came on. Her legs started their long run and she paced her breathing just right.

As she continued to run, a warm sensation flooded into her mind. "Oh no, not now" she pleaded and stopped moving. Her eyes searched for a secluded area, away from people. A sharp pain cut through her head and she collapsed to her knees, trembling. Flashes of incoherent memories embedded into her mind; her naked body tangled with someone's, Kensei's lips on hers again, and Shinji arguing with Aizen.

She willed her body to move into an ally and the hollow inside was slowly breaking the surface. "No, you can't" she pleaded with her inner hollow. _**"Silence, it's my turn to be in**_ _**control"**_ the voice replied. Elize fought against the strength of the hollow and hoped someone would come help her.

Kensei stopped dead in mid-step. Elize's spiritual pressure spiked dramatically and it worried him. The others were still asleep and probably couldn't feel a thing. Without another thought, he rushed out of the warehouse.

Elize's mask was starting to form on her face. Fighting it, she slammed her head into the brick wall next to her. The mask shattered; but blood started to trickle out of the opened wound on her forehead. "Elize" a warm familiar voice called. Her eyes were glazed over with red; but she still recognized Kisuke.

"Kisuke" she whispered.

"Elize!" Kensei yelled approaching her.

Tears started to fall from her tainted eyes upon seeing her close friend. "Get away from me" she replied and a pained scream escaped her throat. Her hollow mask was completely formed on her face. The power she was pushing out, worried Kensei. It was dark and nothing like Elize's at all.

Kisuke swiftly strike the mask with the hilt of his zanpakuto. Kensei stood stunned, noticing the concerned look on the face of the older man. It was a look you'd see on the face of a father, and then he remembered what Elize had told him the day before _**"He treats me like**_ _**family".**_ The hollow mask shattered and she collapsed into Kisuke's arms.

Kensei felt a fog lift from his mind and it became clear to him. Kisuke was her father and he couldn't believe how he had ever forgotten it. He wanted to ask him about it; but Elize was starting to wake up. "I'm so sorry" she said weakly and tried to sit up. Kensei shook his head. "This isn't your fault, its Aizen's" he replied.

The mentioning of Sosuke Aizen's name infuriated Kisuke. He was ashamed to call himself a father, when he had absolutely no idea what the man had done to his daughter. Elize stood up with the help of Kensei. "Thank you Kisuke" she said with a saddened smile.

"No need to thank me" he replied.

"I'll see you tomorrow; I'm going back home"

"Stay safe"

"Always"

It was like watching a conversation between a dad and his teenage daughter; but Elize had no idea, just like he hadn't. Kensei escorted her away. Her body leaned against him for support. "Are you alright?" he asked. The flashes appeared in her mind again and she trembled.

"Why did you lie to me?" she asked.

"What are you talking about? I never lied to you" he replied.

"I saw a flash of you kissing me; but it was a completely different than the first one"

He had no idea what she was talking about. He knew that he had only kissed her once. "I swear I never lied. I only kissed you once" he replied defensively. She looked at him and saw only truth in his eyes. _**"Maybe he doesn't remember or maybe it was just a dream I had"**_ she thought.

When they arrived at the warehouse, everyone was awake and starring at them curiously. "What happened?" Shinji asked, trying not to sound jealous. Kensei looked at him cautiously. "Her hollow took control again" he replied. Elize's eyes met Shinji's for only a moment before she returned her gaze to the floor.

"Did anyone get hurt?" Hiyori asked.

"No, Kisuke broke her mask" Kensei replied.

Lisa became interested when Kisuke's name was mentioned. _**"Maybe he knew about**_ _**her?"**_ she thought. Kensei noticed Lisa's sudden interest in the conversation. _**"Did she know**_ _**to?"**_ he thought. Elize stepped away from Kensei and started to climb the stairs slowly. He followed her to make sure she didn't fall.

Shinji's jealousy was obvious to everyone; but there was nothing he could do. She wasn't his girl, no matter how many times he wished she was. He wouldn't push her into anything she didn't want to do. He returned to eating his breakfast.

Elize opened her bedroom door and shifted to face Kensei. His brown eyes connected with her blue ones. "Thank you for getting me here" she said not turning away from him. "Are you going to rest?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm completely drained"

"I'm sorry about earlier"

"Don't worry about it"

"Elize…"

He trailed off, changing his mind about telling her about his desire to kiss her. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what he was going to say and then the flash of his lips on hers appeared in her mind once again. "Hey, can we talk about that memory?" she asked.

"There is no need to talk about it"

"Why? You kissed me and I want to know why"

"You know why"

"But I want to hear you say it"

Kensei took a step closer to her. She stood her ground in her doorway. She could feel his hand rest on her right hipbone. "You want to hear to I want to kiss you all the time, that I want to toss you onto your bed and fuck you senseless right this very minute. You want to hear that you being near Shinji drives me mad with jealousy and that you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met" he replied edging her backwards into her room.

Her mouth parted in surprise. She had no idea how he felt; but it made sense. His behavior lately was exactly because of his feelings for her. As she started to say something, his lips crashed down upon hers. His bold move shocked her and it took her a moment to respond to his kiss. She pressed into him and returned the fury of kisses. His kiss was very different from Shinji's; while Kensei's was more aggressive, Shinji's was more passion filled.

His tongue slipped through her lips and tangled with hers, fighting for dominance. She ran a hand down his chest and up under his shirt. Her fingertips traced lines along the abs of his stomach. She felt the uneven skin of his tattoo of the number sixty-nine above his abdomen. Her touches sent fire throughout his body and it was slowly turning him on.

Elize felt almost dirty for being this close to Kensei. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since she had been this close with Shinji; but the way Kensei was making her feel in that moment drowned all the negative thoughts. He shifted her so she was back first against the wall. His lips left hers and nipped at the shallow of her neck.

"Kensei…" she whispered.

"Hmmm" he replied licking the base of her neck and scrapping his teeth against the sensitive flesh.

"We can't do this…"

He instantly pulled away and saw the confusion in her eyes mixed with the lust. His hands left her body and she felt cold. The disappointment was clearly written on his face; but at the same time there was guilt there. "I'm sorry, I got carried away" he replied. She smiled at him and reached for his hand.

"It's okay; but I want to remember everything from the past before I let my heart decide where it wants to go"

He kissed her forehead gently. The jealously and anger he felt was magnified after her rejection. "Instead of worrying about the memories of the past, worry about the one Kisuke is keeping from you" he said and moved away from her. Her eyes flew open wide and her heart was beginning to beat abnormally. "What are you talking about" she asked harshly, the anger seeping into her veins.

"Ask him"

"I'm asking you"

Her eyes shimmered with pure energy. He could feel her spiritual pressure rise and it surely would alert the others to the conversation. "Calm down, Elize" he said. She punched him across the jaw and it sent him down the stairs. Shinji looked up and saw Kensei get to his feet. He wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand.

"What the hell is going on?" Shinji yelled.

"Ask her" Kensei replied.

Elize appeared in the main room, glaring a hole right through Kensei. Shinji turned his attention to her. "Elize, what is going on?" he asked calmly. Her eyes moved to look at him. "Kensei seems to think Kisuke is hiding something from me; but refuses to say what" she answered.

"That doesn't give you the right to hit a comrade"

"Stay out of this, Shinji"

"See how defensive you are about him. What does that tell you?" Kensei taunted.

Lisa knew where this was going. Elize clenched her hands into fists. Lisa knew she was ready to strike again, so she flash-stepped in front of her. "What are you doing, Lisa?" she asked.

"Elize, listen, Kensei is right; but it isn't Kisuke's fault. Central forty-six issued the memory be erased from the entire soul society" she explained.

"What memory?"

Lisa swallowed the knot in her throat. "The memory that Kisuke is your father" she answered. Elize's eyes were so wide she thought they would fall out of her head. Shinji couldn't believe what she had said. _**"How could we not have known?"**_ he thought. Tears started to form in Elize's eyes and Kensei took a step closer to her, much to the displeasure of Shinji.

"Then why do you remember?" Elize asked.

"I was in the world of the living when it happened" Lisa replied.

"Why did you keep this from me?"

"I felt that it was best that you didn't know. You believed that your father died when you were born"

"So what's the truth?"

"Central forty-six gave that memory to your mother. Kisuke was very much a part of your life and a big one"

It made sense to her, even though she was upset for not remembering. She always felt close to him and felt at home when he was near. _**"Maybe he could help me remember"**_ she thought. The knowledge of knowing she had a father made her heart soar and the tears of happiness dripped down her cheeks; but the sudden doubt of it not being the truth shattered her hopes.

Lisa helped her back to her room. Elize lay down on her bed holding onto a pillow, tears still pouring from her eyes. She wanted to believe Lisa was telling the truth. Kisuke was everything she wanted in a father. Lisa rubbed Elize's back softly, feeling sorry for her best friend and the turmoil she was going through.

Downstairs, Shinji paces along the concrete floor. All he wanted to do was comfort Elize in her time of need; but somehow Lisa got to be one to comfort her. Kensei sat down on the bottom step, patiently waiting. The tingling from her kisses was still evident on his lips. _**"How**_ _**did all of this happen?"**_ he thought, referring to his fight with the woman he cared so much about.

**XxXx I'm sorry if this chapter was confusing in any way. I tried to write it in the least confusing way possible. XxXx **


	10. Chapter 10

**XxXx This chapter is going to focus on Elize and Kisuke mostly. There isn't much romance, sorry; but I felt this chapter was necessary for the storyline. There will be two flashbacks in this chapter. Enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 10

Elize had slept the rest of the day and night. She woke up feeling oddly tired; but she knew it was because she slept too much beforehand. Today was the day she'd be going back to Kisuke's shop for another memory restoration; but after the day before's events, she was hesitant in going. She didn't know if she should keep what Lisa had told her to herself.

She sat up and ran a hand through her hair, than she was greeted by Lisa's warm smile. The sight of her scared her. "Christ, Lisa, you scared me" she said. Lisa just continued to smile. "Don't you have to go to Kisuke's today?"

"Yes; but I don't know if I should"

"Oh you most certainly need to go. Don't let what happened yesterday scare you"

"It's going to be weird now"

"Why? Nothing's changed"

"Are you blind? Of course something changed. You told me that he's my father"

"So"

"Oh never mind, I'm going"

Elize tossed the covers off and rummaged through her closet for clothes. She decided on a pair of jeans and a powder blue baby tee. Once she opened the bedroom door, Shinji stood before her. "Good luck today" he said with a smile. She threw her arms around him and held onto him. His arms wrapped around her tightly. "If you need me, I'm here for you" he whispered in her ear.

"Thank you"

He didn't want to let her go; but eventually did and watched her disappear out of sight. Elize rushed to the small shop and found herself standing before it. Her heart was racing with the thought of him being her father. She turned the knob to open the front door. Tessai's face was the first she saw. He waved at her. "Good morning, Elize" he greeted.

"Where is Kisuke?" she asked surprised that she actually said his name without hesitation.

"I'm right here" Kisuke replied walking into the room.

She looked at him, taking in every detail. She hoped something would trigger her memory. "Are you ready?" he asked and snapped her out of her thoughts. "I believe so" she replied and followed him back into the underground training room. Elize watched him attach the helmet like thing to her head and suddenly felt a bond to him.

"Kisuke…"

"Yes"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"Kensei believed you were and Lisa told me something about central forty-six"

The name brought anger to his usual calm demeanor. They had taken everything away from him and there was nothing to show for it. "What about them?" he asked suctioning her left temple to the machine. "She said that they erased the entire soul society's memory of the fact that you're my father" she explained. He sucked in a gasp of air. His hands started to shake while attaching the last suction to her head.

"Is it true?" she asked noticing his scared behavior.

He never got a chance to answer; because her eyes closed and the next memory was unlocking inside her mind. He laid her gently on the ground and waited for Tessai to get there to put up a barrier. "Elize…" he whispered.

She could hear Kisuke speak her name; but darkness clouded her sight. A small light sparkled through and she began to walk towards it. The light grew and before her eyes was another memory she had forgotten.

_**Flashback**_

_Elize walked to the Captain's office. Shinji was at his desk, obliviously concentrated on the paper in front of him. She smiled at him; remembering the week before when he had kissed her. Over the last week, she had avoided being alone with him. She was confused about how she felt about her Captain._

"_You wanted to see me, Captain?" she asked._

"_Yes, I did. Please come in"_

_ She nervously walked into the office, biting the inside of her cheek. Shinji's eyes looked up from the paper in front of him. He noticed her nervousness and chuckled. "Relax, Elize. There is no need to be nervous around me" he said with a smile._

"_Sorry sir, it's just…"_

"_It's just what? You think I'm going to kiss you again?"_

"_I…uh…"  
"Elize, I'm not going to kiss you. I asked you here for a business matter"_

"_Oh okay"_

_ She relaxed when she heard his reason for asking her there. "Sosuke is going to be away for a while on a personal mission from the Head Captain. He asked me to find a suitable temporary replacement" Shinji explained. Elize knew of the mission Sosuke was sent on; because he had told her personally. She was confused on what it had to do with her. He stood up from the desk chair and stepped closer to her._

"_I'd like you to be the replacement" he said with a hopeful smile._

"_Me?"_

"_Yes you, why is that so hard to believe?"_

"_But sir, I don't have the strength or the intelligence for this position"_

_ Shinji reached for her hand. His sudden touch to her skin sparked a feeling of joy within her. "Elize, you have more than enough qualities for this position" he replied rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. She smiled at him and he returned her smile. "You've got such a beautiful smile" he commented._

_ Elize reached for a chunk of his hair. "Do I need to pull your hair?" she asked with a playful laugh. He swiftly flipped her around so her back was against the closed door of the office. Her eyes blinked several times, anticipating what he was planning to do. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as he leaned his head closer to hers. "I thought you said you weren't going to kiss me?" she asked._

"_I changed my mind" he replied touched his nose to hers._

_ Shinji's lips lightly brushed against hers, teasing her. She boldly pulled the hair that she still had in her hand to press her lips harder onto his. A groan escaped his throat at her action. She attempted to slip her tongue between his lips; but he pulled away. She pouted with disappointment. "As much as I would love to continue kissing you, I have to tell the Head Captain of your decision" he said._

"_Okay, I need to see my dad anyway" she replied._

_**End of Flashback**_

Kisuke watched Elize closely. She hadn't changed, nor did her spiritual pressure raise any. Tears dripped from her closed eyes and he wondered what she was remembering. Elize tried to open her eyes; but her body wouldn't obey. She felt like she was being sucked back into the void she was just in. She trembled after witnessing the memories central forty-six had taken away from her. Kisuke really was her father and she remembered it all, every last memory.

Another light appeared in the darkness and she started to walk towards it, not caring that her mind could burn out in the process. Her body shook next to Kisuke and he's worried expression alerted Tessai.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"She's going back into another memory"

"How's that possible?"

"She must have remembered something that had two parts or she remembered what central forty-six erased"

"Would that be so bad, if she remembered?"

Kisuke said nothing. He just wanted his daughter to be safe. That's all he ever wanted her to be; but somehow Aizen slipped under his nose and took advantage of her. He'd be damned if he let anyone hurt her like that again.

_**Flashback**_

_Elize walked the open walkway of squad twelve. Many friendly faces greeted her and she smiled sweetly at all of them. She was beyond happy at that moment and all she wanted to do was tell her father about it. Suddenly, Kisuke was catapulted out of the Captain's office. He landed on his back in the middle of the courtyard. Elize just shook her head and let out a tiny laugh. "What did you do to Lieutenant Sarugaki this time, dad?" she asked._

"_Elize, what a pleasant surprise" Kisuke replied getting up from the ground._

_ Hiyori stepped out of the Captain's office with a scowl on her face. She noticed Elize standing there. "Oh you're here" she commented. Elize never understood Hiyori's lack of social ability; but she never let it bother her. "Hello Lieutenant" she replied with a smile, showing her that her attitude didn't bother her._

"_Want to go for a walk?" Kisuke asked._

"_Sure"_

_ He led his daughter away from his angry lieutenant. "So what brings you to the humble twelfth squad?" he asked curiously. She smiled again, remembering earlier that day; but mostly the kiss she had shared with her Captain once again._

"_I got a temporary promotion today" she replied._

"_What kind of promotion?"_

"_I'm temporarily filling in for my lieutenant while he's on a mission"_

"_That's great! It'll give you a chance to show them you can do the job"_

"_To be honest, I don't think I'm really qualified to do it; but Captain Hirako insisted that I was"_

_ Kisuke stopped walking and looked at Elize with a smile. "He is a good judge of character and he's right about your abilities. Don't doubt yourself so much". She just smiled and thought back on what Shinji said about her abilities; but all that came to mind was his lips on hers and how he makes her feel every time he's near._

"_Dad"_

"_Yeah"_

"_I think I may have done something wrong"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Normally I would have talked to mom about this; but since she's gone, you're all I have"_

_ Tears were starting to form in her eyes and it worried him. "You can talk to me about anything, Elize. You know that" he replied, trying to calm her down. "I think I have feelings for my Captain" she answered. He just hugged her lovingly._

"_There is nothing wrong about that. He's a good guy and he's been looking at you a lot lately; believe me I've noticed"_

_ She laughed. "Nothing gets passed you, does it?" she asked. He ran a hand over his messy blonde hair. "Nope" he replied._

_**End of Flashback**_

Elize shot up with a gasp of breath. Kisuke touched her shoulders to steady her. She gasped for another breath of air. She was hyperventilating and it concerned him. Tessai handed her a glass of water; but she couldn't stop shaking enough to hold it. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her vision became clear once more. The first thing she saw was Kisuke in front of her.

"Daddy…" she cried.

He couldn't believe she had called him that. She hadn't called him that since she was little; but it melted his heart hearing her say it. "It's been a long time since you called me that" he replied. She forced herself to calm down. "Not since I was little. I…I remember everything" she admitted.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I feel good"

"That's good. Any new memories?"

"Yes, I remember the temporary promotion to lieutenant"

"One of the many days I got kicked in the face by Hiyori"

Elize looked at her father's cheerful smile. _**"God, I missed you dad"**_ she thought. "She hasn't changed at all. She still doesn't like me" she replied. Kisuke turned to look at her. The honesty of her comment surprised him.

"That's because Shinji chose you over her"

"Chose me over her? I'm confused"

"I'm going to let him explain that one"

"Um…okay"

He began to remove the machine from her head and she sensed a slight increase in her spiritual energy; but nothing compared to the last time. Her eyes lost their happiness and he noticed immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked. She didn't know what to say to him, things were very new to her. "Why me? Why did Aizen do this to me?"

"I honestly don't know; but don't let this tear you apart. You have good friends that care a lot about you and I'm always here for you"

"And two of those friends are fighting each other"

"It will subside, this war is too important to them"

"It's important to me too"

"I know; but you need to get your strength back first"

"Okay, I guess I'll see you soon"

"Visit whenever you want Elize. I am your father after all"

"Oh I know"

She smiled and turned to walk away. Walking out of her father's candy shop felt different, now that she remembered everything about her life with her father. She almost felt complete; but there was still something missing and she felt that her altered memories were the answer.

**XxXx There was Chapter 10. I promise the next chapter will have lots of romance and maybe even a****little lemony goodness XxXx**


	11. Chapter 11

**XxXx Only a few days left to vote, voting ends February 14****th****. The voting so far as follows Shinji: 4 and Kensei: 1. Sorry but this chapter doesn't have any lemons but there is some romance and a little twist. So I hope you enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 11

Shinji sat on the bottom step to the training room. He was watching Kensei train with Lisa and wondered that they were talking about. Ever since his fight with Elize, he had been avoiding everyone. He assumed that the fight really upset him.

"Shinji" Hiyori said sitting next to him.

"What?"

"You and Kensei need to start getting along. Elize isn't worth the rift you guys are creating"

"Speak for yourself; she's plenty worth it to me"

"This war is way more important than her"

"Is that all you came to say?"

Hiyori was stunned by the cold shoulder she was receiving. She said nothing else; but got up and walked away. Kensei blocked Lisa's sword with his own. Her eyes searched his, looking for an explanation for his recent behavior.

"Talk to me Kensei, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I'd rather not say"

"It's about Elize, isn't it?"

"I just don't see how she can like Shinji so much"

"They have history, you know that. Aizen made her forget it all overnight and then she came to you. I hate to say this; but did you really think she cared for you more than a friend?"

He thought about it and one image came to mind. Elize's lips on his the precious day. "We kissed yesterday, right before we got into the fight" he replied.

"She is confused, Kensei. She's just remembering things from the past"

Kensei knew that she was right; but he still had hope that she'd come to him so that he could show her just how much she meant to him.

Elize walked into the warehouse. Hiyori glared at her. "You need to fix the problem" she said emotionless. "What problem?" she asked, wanting to know what was going on.

"Kensei and Shinji aren't getting along and you're the reason. Fix it or you will no longer be welcome here"

"You can't just kick me out. We don't get along either. You hate me for no reason"

"There is a reason; but this isn't about me"

Elize couldn't believe she was being forced to make a decision or she wouldn't have a home to go to. Hiyori was stronger that she was in her present state, so she knew that she couldn't fight her for the right to stay.

"What is going on up here?" Shinji asked.

His eyes were fixed on Elize's teary eyes. He knew Hiyori had said something to her. "I told her if she didn't fix the problem that she would no longer be welcome here" Hiyori explained. Rage flared inside him. "Are you crazy? She's one of us" he argued.

"No, it's alright. She's right; I am the reason you and Kensei are fighting"

"Not even Kensei would want this"

"You're right, I wouldn't" Kensei said coming up the stairs.

Elize stared at Kensei. His expression bore into her. She knew how he felt about her and all she had done was push him away without a real reason. Her eyes shifted and found Shinji's gaze. She wanted to know how he felt about her; but couldn't ever find the courage to ask. She thought that maybe it was better if she just left. "I don't belong here, I never did. I'll be gone by morning, Hiyori" she said and walked up the stairs to begin the packing process.

Hiyori couldn't believe what she had just heard. It wasn't like Elize to give up; but yet here she was doing just that and it was her fault. The feeling sunk in and she had to swallow it down.

"How could you do that to her after everything she's been through?" Shinji asked.

She said nothing and turned away from them. Kensei and Shinji looked at each other, guilt evident on both their faces. "You know we can't let her do this" Shinji said breaking the silence. "What do we do?" Kensei asked shoving his hands into his pockets.

"You need to fix your friendship with her that's for sure"

"What about Lisa? Maybe she could talk to her"

"She could; but this isn't about the others"

Kensei just agreed and slowly walked up the stairs towards the end of the hall. The door was open and he could hear a zipper opening and stuff being thrown around. She was throwing her clothes into a large suitcase and he softly knocked on the doorframe, alerting her.

"Kensei…"

"You don't need to leave"

"Yes, I do; because if I stay, you and Shinji will never stop fighting over me"

"There won't be any more fighting, I promise"

"Don't…you can't promise that, because you both care for me"

He watched her put the last remains of her clothes into the suitcase and zip it shut. He couldn't let her go, not just for him; but for Shinji as well. He knew Shinji well enough to know he'd stop fighting if he didn't have a purpose. Elize turned to grab another fairly large bag from the closet; but Kensei stood before her.

"Just stop and listen" he demanded.

"There is nothing you can say that's going to change my mind"

She walked around him and continued to pull her shoes out and stuff them into the bag. He grabbed her arm and quickly turned her around. Before she could say anything, his lips were on hers. She felt tense in his arms. "Relax baby, just feel" he whispered against her lips. Her back rested against the door of her closet and her hands moved up his chest instinctively. He moved from her lips and made a trail of kisses from her jaw, neck, and then to her shoulder. She shivered with anticipation.

The one thing she definitely knew about Kensei was that he was a skilled kisser. A soft moan escaped her throat and she pressed her body into his firmly; but he gently pushed her back against the door. He was teasing her and from what she could tell, he was enjoying it. She dragged her nails down his chest and felt his tongue dip between the cleavages of her breasts.

The warmth of his tongue continued to dance along her cleavage, while his hands cupped her breasts and squeezed them together. She felt like her body was on cloud nine; but the familiar warm sensation in her mind started to burn and she started to panic.

"Oh my god, not now" she said in a panicked voice.

Kensei instantly moved away from her to see that her hands were gripping the sides of her head, which meant one thing, she was remembering something else. "Elize…" he said trying to get close to her. Her eyes were rapidly glazing over with black. "Stay away" she pleaded. He didn't know what to do. He knew that his zanpakuto was downstairs and there was no time to get it. In that moment, there was only one thing he could do. He needed to get Shinji.

"SHINJI!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

It had only taken him seconds to appear; because he had felt her spiritual pressure increase. Shinji walked passed Kensei and grabbed both her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Elize, you need to calm down. I know you don't want to hurt anyone" he pleaded.

"Shinji…" she whispered.

More flashes of her naked body tangled with someone's emerged; but the man's face became painfully clear. It was the night she had lost her innocence; she could feel every feeling and every pleasurable touch. Shinji shook her gently, realizing her blue depths were fading quickly. "Elize, please. It's me" he pleaded again.

She couldn't hear his voice anymore; but she could still feel his hands on her shoulders. She wanted to hear him, see him; but the hollow inside continued to force back her efforts. She was utterly afraid that she'd never get to see him again. _**"No, I'm not giving up"**_ she thought; but the images in her head continued.

"Should I get Kisuke?" Kensei asked.

"No, he won't be able to help her this time."

"I hate seeing her this way"

Shinji knew that Kensei wasn't going to like what he was about to do; but he didn't care. He swiftly pulled Elize's face up to place a passion filled kiss upon her lips. His hands caressed her arms lovingly. Kensei felt the jealously rise within him; but suppressed it after seeing her hands grip onto his shirt.

Elize could feel the warmth of Shinji's soft lips on hers and it gave her strength to fight back. The burning in her head subsided and the color returned to her eyes. Her eyes closed and she deepened the kiss. _**"How could I have forgotten that night?"**_ she thought.

Kensei watched as Elize kissed Shinji, just like he had seen her do in the past. He realized how much they had gone through because of Aizen and he turned to leave. Elize broke away from Shinji just in time to see Kensei walk out of her room.

"Kensei wait" she called; but he didn't come back.

She stood frozen, coming to the conclusion that she may have lost him forever. Tears rolled down her cheeks, just as darkness settled in on the town. Shinji reached for her; but she stepped away from him. "I need to finish packing" she stated and walked passed him.

"You can't be serious about leaving"

"I'm dead serious, Shinji"

"It makes no sense. You are one of us"

"Not fully. I've never been able to fully control the hollow. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm going to stay with my dad"

It was a relief to know that she wasn't going to be on the streets; but the thought of her not being there was killing him. She put the last few belongings into her back and picked them up; and then walked out of her room with Shinji following close behind.

Her comrades were all in the main room arguing with Hiyori. The moment Elize stepped into the room, the arguing seized. Lisa stepped closer to her. "You can't do this. Ignore her, she doesn't understand anything". She smiled at her best friend's comments; but her mind was already made up. She dropped her bags and hugged her tightly. "Goodbye, Lisa. You'll know where I'll be if you want to visit" she whispered.

"Elize…"

She walked around the room, saying goodbyes to Rose, Love, Haichi and Mashiro. Mashiro begged her to stay; but again she refused. When she came to Kensei, tears started to sting her eyes. She immediately wrapped her arms around him. "I'm going to miss you" she whispered against his chest. He kissed her forehead. "Then don't leave and you won't have to miss me". She shook her head knowing it wouldn't change anything if she stayed. He kissed her forehead again and murmured the three words he'd been holding in for a hundred years. "I love you".

Her tears trickled in a slow stream down her cheeks, upon hearing it. He reluctantly let her go and she moved to Shinji. Hiyori was running out of patience. She wanted her gone and right that very minute. Shinji automatically sensed Hiyori's impatience and pulled Elize to him, watching her reaction. "Goodbye, Shinji" she whispered. He tightened his hold on her, refusing to let go.

"Alright, that's enough; if you're leaving, just leave" Hiyori snapped.

"Hiyori, how can you be this mean to her" Mashiro asked.

Elize moved away from Shinji and appeared in front of Hiyori. "I'm going; but not before I do something" she replied. Hiyori's scowl spread; but never saw the punch coming. Elize's fist connected to her cheek and it sent her backwards several feet. She grabbed her bags and walked out of the warehouse without looking back.

**XxXx I know there wasn't much romance; but I promise the next chapter will have a lot. XxXx**


	12. Chapter 12

**XxXx Well this chapter is pretty damn long and it's going to make it seem that Elize has chosen between Shinji and Kensei; but that isn't the case. This chapter is definitely a Shinji/Elize one; but there will be a good moment for Kensei in a later chapter. So please continue to vote! Enjoy the new chapter and as always please review. XxXx**

**Warning: Strong Sexual Content**

Chapter 12

Hiyori got up from the floor and placed a hand on her cheek. No one asked if she was okay. No one even glanced in her direction. She knew that she had created the biggest rift of all between all of them; but there was no going back. What was done was done. Mashiro tried to be comforting to Kensei; but he brushed her off to go to his room.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Hiyori snapped.

"To bed, I've had enough of today. If you hadn't tried to force her to choose between Shinji and me, none of this would be happening"

"Whatever"

"Your jealousy just may have cost us this war"

"Jealous? What do I have to be jealous about?"

"Enough!" Shinji yelled.

Kensei was slightly happy that Shinji had interrupted. Hiyori was pissing him off. Shinji's hair fell into his eyes and the anger was evident in them. Hiyori noted that she was no longer welcome in the room and stormed up the stairs, slamming the door behind her. Mashiro let out a sigh and huddled against Lisa.

"I'm going out for some air" Shinji said and walked out of the warehouse.

Elize was settling into her new room, when Kisuke knocked on the open door. She looked up and tried to smile at him. "Are you okay with me staying here?" she asked. He chuckled. "Now why wouldn't I be okay with that?" he countered.

"Maybe because I'm a time bomb waiting to explode"

"We will work on that starting tomorrow. Elize, I promise that I will find a solution"

"Thanks dad"

"Try not to stay up all night thinking about what happened. You will prove to her that you belong with them"

Elize smiled and continued to put her things away. Kisuke stepped away from the door, closing it behind him. He could hear her broken sobs from the hall and it took everything he had to not go to the warehouse and talk some sense into Hiyori himself.

She hung up her clothes in the small closet next to her bed. Her heart felt almost empty without her comrades. She missed them already. Her fingers trembled when she placed her framed pictured on her dresser and her thumb brushed across the photo of her jumping on Shinji's back. The look on his face was the purest form of happiness and it broke her heart to know that she'd probably never see it again.

Shinji stopped at Kisuke's candy shop. He could sense Elize's spiritual pressure from inside; but he also felt her sorrow. From the time she walked out of the warehouse, he thought he never got a real goodbye. He couldn't deny that he already missed her and standing there made him miss her even more.

"You know you can see her, Shinji" Kisuke said coming out of the darkness.

"Kisuke…how did you…"

"Know you were here?

"Yeah"

"You underestimate me"

"How is she?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

"It's probably best if I didn't"

Kisuke took another step closer. "Are you that afraid of loving her?" he asked. His question caught him off guard and it surprised him to know that Kisuke knew of his feelings for Elize; but he supposed it was because he was a parent and it was his job to look out for her.

"No; but she doesn't even remember it"

"She remembers more than you think"

_**"That's right, I never got a chance to ask her about the memory restoration today"**_ he thought. Shinji removed his hands from his pockets and searched for her spiritual pressure again. He was that close to her and he knew that he needed to see her. "Take me to her" he finally said. Kisuke smiled and led him inside the shop.

"Her room is at the very end of the hall" Kisuke said softly.

"Thank you" Shinji replied.

Shinji walked down the hall, masking his spiritual pressure from her senses. He lifted his right arm and gently knocked on the door. Elize had just turned on the song 'Give me Love' by Ed Sheernan when she heard the knock. She figured it was one of the children checking on her and a smile crept to her face. Her fingers wrapped around the knob and turned it. When the door opened, she was face to face with Shinji.

"Shinji…" she whispered.

"Hey El" he replied.

The music was still playing and he heard the words "Give me love like her" and it made his heart race. She stepped aside to allow him inside and walked over to her IPod to turn the music off. "Leave it on, it's a good song" he commented. She stopped and turned to look at him as he was closing the door behind him.

"Since when? You only like Jazz music"

"The words… are beautiful"

"Okay"

She closed the space between them again. "So what brings you here?" she asked. He sat down on the edge of her bed and patted the empty space next to him, issuing her to sit down next to him. She slowly sat down next to him, their knees slightly touching.

"I never got a chance to ask you how your memory restoration went today" he said.

"It went pretty well. I remember everything about my dad and…"

"And what?"

"I remember the temporary promotion to lieutenant"

"Ah that day"

She looked up from her hands and into his eyes. He gave her a smile that just melted her. "That was the beginning of something special between us" he said softly running a hand through her long hair. "I know; because I feel it. I remember the night you took my innocence" she replied. Shinji sucked in a surprised breath of air. He didn't know that she remembered that special night. "Elize…" he whispered.

"I always thought it was Sosuke that took my virginity; but now I remember that it wasn't. It was you"

"God Elize, you have no idea how hard it was for me to pretend that it never happened; because you couldn't remember it"

"I can't even image what I put you through. I'm so sorry Shinji"

"You have nothing to apologize for. Aizen took your memories; because he wanted you to think no one loved you"

"He didn't love me. He used me"

Shinji wanted to tell her how he felt; but he didn't want to scare her. Her beautiful eyes called to him, sucked him in. Her lips were moist and he wanted to taste them. Elize realized her feelings for Shinji were growing now that a few of her altered memories had become clear and she wanted to know just how he felt about her. The music faded around them and it was silent inside the room.

"Shinji, I want to know how you feel about me?" she asked breaking the momentary silence.

The question made his heart race even more. She had no idea how much he wanted to tell her and show he just how much he loved her. "I wish you could remember the day you told me how you felt about me" he replied. She felt guilty for not remembering; but she remembered enough to know that she cared deeply for him.

"I wish I could to; but I believe I already feel it"

"Elize…I never thought I'd thank Aizen for anything; but if he hadn't convinced you to join my squad, I never would have met you"

"I still think you would have even if I hadn't; but I'm glad I was a part of your squad to"

He didn't know how much longer he could hold back. He wanted to kiss her so badly. She reached for his hand and sensually kissed it. Her lips were soft against his skin and it heated his flesh. The blue of her eyes sparkled with passion and he caved. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Her eyes closed and reveled in the sensation. Her lips moved against his rhythmically. She could feel his hand cradle the back of her head and then rested her hand on his arm.

His tongue slipped between her coated lips and danced with hers. She pulled herself onto his lap, straddling him. She felt drunk off the sensations he was giving her body, when he left her lips he left her lips and swirled his tongue against the lobe of her ear.

Elize reached down and pulled on his tucked-in shirt. She could feel the warmth of his tongue slid down the base of her neck to nibble on her collarbone. Her hands started to unbutton his shirt. His flesh was in her line of sight and she raked her nails down his muscle toned skin. She slid his shirt off his arms and away from him.

Shinji reached for her hips and moved them against him, rubbing his hardening cock against her covered core. She moaned softly and it encouraged him to take things further. His hands lifted up on the hem of her shirt. She lifted her arms up so he could remove the shirt from her body. Her breasts were still covered by a black satin bra; but her cleavage was still mouthwatering.

"Shinji…" she whispered.

He smiled as he dipped his tongue between her breasts, squeezing them together with his hands. His hand let go and then reached behind her back to unclasp the bra off her skin. She grinded her hips against his several times, creating friction to her covered womanhood. Her breast spilled free from the confinement of her bra. "Elize, you are so beautiful" he commented before taking a nipple into his warm mouth. She arched her back into him. The suction on her nipple and the dance of his tongue sent her into a world of pure bliss.

Elize ran a hand over Shinji's head and slightly pulled on his hair. His fingertips pinched the neglected nipple that wasn't in his mouth. Another moan escaped her open mouth and she jerked her hips harder against his hard erection. Shinji released her nipple from his mouth and kissed her lips. He used his body weight to shift her off his lap and onto her back beneath him.

She gazed into his soft brown eyes and somehow knew that he loved her. "Elize, are you okay?" he asked, his voice heavy with lust. He used the last bit of control he had left to ask her that. "I'm fine" she replied with a smile. He dipped his head down to her lips and kissed them. Her tongue tangled with his as she reached to the belt of his pants. Her fingers unraveled it and started to unbutton them. He grabbed her wrist to stop her. "No, I want to taste you first" he stated as his lips left hers. His tongue made a wet trail down her stomach and dipped into her belly button.

Shinji fumbled with the button on her jeans; but managed to release it and the zipper was to follow. Elize was always self-conscious about the lower part of her body and she began to panic. His hand pulled the bottoms of her pant legs and she was left in her black panties. He realized that she was panicking and he looked back into her eyes. "Relax baby, I've seen all of you before. You have such a beautiful body" he said trying to calm her down and it seemed to work.

His hand moved up her leg to her inner thigh. She felt his fingers slid up her panties, touching her core from the outside. Her legs parted slightly wider and he ran his tongue on the fabric of her underwear. She sucked in a breath of air and he smiled at her reaction. Elize felt his fingers move her panties to the side and slip a digit inside her warmth. He leaned closer to her ear and nibbled the skin below it. "You're so wet" he whispered and she groaned at his lustful comment.

She felt him remove his finger from her wetness and watching him slip it into his mouth, tasting her. Her eyes widened upon seeing him do that. "So sweet tasting, I think I'm going to need more of it" he said watching a blush form on her cheeks. He hooked his fingers under the sides of her panties and slid them down her legs. She was still so beautiful and everything was still the same as he remembered, except for a scar above her pelvis. He wondered where it had come from; but it wasn't the time to ask her about it.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No, now relax" he replied.

Shinji parted her legs and leaned down, trailing his tongue against her wetness. Her flavor seeped into his mouth and it intoxicated him instantly. He took her clit into his mouth and gently sucked. The metal of his tongue ring hit the bundle of nerves over and over again. "Shinji…" she moaned gripping the blanket beneath her. He smiled listening to her call out his name. He slipped in a finger and slowly pumped it in and out of her growing wetness.

Her hips moved against the moves of his tongue made across her sensitive clit and the way his fingers slid inside her; but to her disappointment he pulled his fingers out and released her clit from his mouth. He leaned down to kiss her lips. She tasted her own fluid on his lips as she kissed him. Elize started to unbutton his pants for the second time and this time Shinji didn't stop her.

She pushed him back and she sat up fumbling with the stuck zipper. He chuckled at her shaking hands and reached down to help her. She pulled his pants and underwear from his hips. His length sprung free and she immediately took it into her hand, stroking it slowly. A groan escaped his throat and she let her instincts take over. Elize got onto her knee in front of him and too his cock into her mouth as far as she could go without gaging.

"Elize…" he groaned as he took her hair into his hand, holding it away from her face.

Her mouth suctioned against him, creating even more friction. He watched her head bob up and down, slowly increasing her speed. Her tongue circled around the head of his cock and it sent another spark of pleasure into his body. He didn't want to cum that quickly, so he gently pulled her moth off of him and leaned her back onto her bed.

Shinji parted her legs again and rubbed the head of his erection to her hot, wet entrance. "Ready?" he asked softly. She nodded and he pushed himself into her. Her tight walls clamped around him, milking him. He knew he wasn't going to last very long with how amazing she felt. Elize curled her leg around his backside, urging him to speed up. He complied, giving her exactly what she wanted. His hips hit her inner thighs as he slammed into her. Her nails dug into his chest as she felt pressure build up. She wanted a release and he was so close to giving her that.

"Shinji…"she moaned loudly.

He leaned down and covered her mouth with his, trying to keep her quiet. The last thing he wanted was Kisuke ruining the moment. Her nails dug in even harder, drawing blood. "God, Elize" he groaned. He slammed into her again and she moved her mouth to his neck, sucking the flesh. It was the last thing he could take and with one more thrust, he spilled himself into her. Her walls clamped down even harder, sending her over the edge. He knew that she had gotten the release she wanted and now she lay beneath him, panting.

Reluctantly, he pulled out of her warmth and rolled over beside her. She snuggled up against him, enjoying his body next to hers. He pulled a blanket over them and moved her head up to look at him. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

"No, I want you to hold me tonight" she replied.

"Okay, then I'll stay"

It wasn't long before she had fallen asleep in his arms and listening to her soft breathing brought back all the memories of them in the very same position. He kissed her forehead and whispered "I love you, Elize" before sleep took him over.

**XxXx Wow that chapter took so long to write; but I'm pleased with the outcome. Please let me know what you think. XxXx**


	13. Chapter 13

**XxXx Only three days left until voting is over. Well this chapter has some bombshell questions in it. Sorry not so much on the romance this time; but another familiar face will be introduced. Here is the new chapter, enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 13

Shinji awoke with a smile. Elize was still curled next to him with her face away from him. Every passion filled kiss that he remembered made the smile grow bigger; but there was one thing that bothered him. After seeing the scar above her pelvis, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He knew that he couldn't ask her about it, since she probably didn't remember when she got it or why.

He slowly inched his way out of her bed and quickly dressed. His eyes lingered on her still sleeping form. He refrained from touching her, for fear of waking her; but he did blow her a kiss and silently walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.

"Where do you think you're going, without saying goodbye properly?" a female voice scolded from behind him.

Shinji turned to see Yoruichi Shihoin standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. _**"Oh hell"**_ he thought. Yoruichi eyed him suspiciously. She may not be Elize's birth mother; but she treated her like her own. It was only to be expected that she'd give him that look of disappointment.

"Sorry Yoruichi" he said softly looking at the floor.

"Come into the room with me" she said.

He slowly followed her into the room across the hall. She turned the light on and faced him. "Shinji, I'm not mad about you being here, because I do know the history you two have; but she still doesn't remember everything. Do you think it was a good idea to sleep with her?" she asked.

"I'm not going to try and defend myself, because you're right she doesn't remember everything; but she remembers enough to know what we had before Aizen took it all away"

"I trust you Shinji, always have; but I feel the need to protect her, because I didn't back then"

"That was not your fault; no one knew what Aizen was doing to her until it was too late"

"You love her, don't you?"

"More than anything"

"Keep her safe"

"Always; but there is something that's bothering me and I thought maybe you could look into it"

Yoruichi cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "What's up?" she asked. Shinji thought back on what the scar actually looked like just in case she'd ask. "There is a scar above her pelvis and it's not from any battle that I know if. Could you sneak into Retsu Unohana's records room and look for the answer" he asked.

"What does the scar look like?"

"To be honest it looks like a C-section scar"

"I will definitely look into that, thank you for telling me"

Shinji turned and walked out of the room only to come face to face with Elize. Her eyes narrowed upon seeing him. "Were you trying to leave without saying goodbye?" she asked bitterness coated her words. He shook his head. "I didn't want to wake you" he replied.

"Don't lie to me"

"Honestly, I didn't want to wake you and then I ran into Yoruichi"

Elize's eyes perked. "Yoruichi is here?" she asked excitedly. He smiled and stepped aside so she could see the woman behind him. Elize instantly ran into Yoruichi's arms. "Hello Elize, glad to see you missed me" she commented. "Of course I did" she cried. Shinji just smiled at the touching moment.

"I should probably go" he said.

"Why?" Elize asked pulling out of the embrace.

"I would love to stay El; but I've been gone all night, Kensei will probably punch me in the face when I get back"

She had temporarily forgotten that Kensei was in love with her to and now that she had slept with Shinji, matters would probably get worse between them. "Tell him to come see me tonight. I should probably talk to him" she replied.

"Elize…"

"Look, I know you don't want me alone with him; but you need to understand that he's my close friend"

"I know and I don't want you to loose that; but he sees you as more that that"

"I'm aware of that; because he's kissed me more than once over the last week"

Shinji had a feeling that Kensei had done something like that; but the question was did she feel for him as well? All he could do was trust her to make the right choice in the end. He would still protect her and love her, even if she chose Kensei. "I see" the disappointment extremely obvious in his voice.

Elize took his hand into hers. "Please don't think last night meant nothing to me, because it meant a lot to me" she replied trying to hold back tears. She felt like one of those girls that jumps from guy to guy. Yoruichi stepped between them. "I know you love her; but give her time to figure things out for herself" she said.

"He doesn't love me, Yoruichi. No one does" Elize said and walked into her room, closing the door behind her.

Shinji wanted to tell her that she was wrong; but it would only push her further away. Yoruichi was right; he had to give her time. "I'll be going" he said and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He turned to walk away, hesitating at Elize's door for a moment.

"Shinji, I'll do what you asked and please don't let what she said get to you. She's extremely fragile without those memories restored"

"I know and that's why I'll do what she asked. Kensei will be here tonight"

Yoruichi watched him walk away and turned toward her room. Elize sat on her bed trying to remember everything. She wanted everything to be over so her heart could just decide what it wants to do. "Maybe a shower will help" she said to herself. Opening her closet, a small black box fell out and landed onto the floor. Her fingers wrapped around it and she cautiously opened it.

"Oh my god" she gasped.

Inside the box was a ring made of platinum with a heart-shaped diamond in the center. "Where did this come from?" she thought; but sat it back into her closet and pulled out a black tank and jean shorts. A knock on her door alerted her to her father's presence. "Come in" she yelled.

"Elize, are you alright? Yoruichi told me what happened"

"I'm fine, I guess. I just wish I could remember everything so my heart could make up its mind"

"Understandable; but I promise it'll be soon"

"I hope so"

She reached inside her closet for the black box. "Is this yours dad?" she asked. She opened the box and he peered inside. The moment his eyes laid upon the ring, they became watery and sorrowful. Elize noticed immediately and it concerned her.

"Dad what's wrong?"

"That was your mother's engagement ring; but I gave it to…"

He cut himself off realizing he was about to reveal a memory she had yet to remember; but she caught on. "You gave it to who, dad?" she asked, feeling like she knew the ring; but not from her mother's hand. She had been too young to remember things like that about her. Kisuke turned away from her. "You'll eventually remember; but for now concentrate on today. When you're finished getting dressed, come to the training ground. I believe I have found a way to unlock all of your memories at once; but bring something that relaxes you" he replied and walked out of the room.

Elize couldn't help but feel that there was something wrong with him; but she had no idea what. Shinji's heartbroken expression invaded her mind and she shook her head rapidly, trying to scatter the image.

Shinji walked into the main room of the warehouse feeling utterly broken; but he did know that Yoruichi was right. Time could only mend the broken; but he missed her so much it hurt. "Where were you?" Hiyori asked sitting on the couch.

"None of your business" he replied.

"I suppose you're right" she replied.

Kensei walked in and they exchanged a glance. Shinji approached, knowing he had to pass on the message from Elize. "Shinji, you look like someone died. What's up?" he asked. In Shinji's mind something did die. "I have a message for you from Elize" he replied. Kensei's eyes widened with surprise. He never would have thought that he would tell him anything from her unless it was purely negative.

"Okay"

"She wants to see you tonight"

"Shinji…."

"It's her choice; just don't get your hopes up like I did"

He continued to walk on and up the stairs. Kensei couldn't help but feel guilty for caring so much about Elize; because the pain Shinji felt in that moment was more painful than any physical wound he'd ever suffered.

Meanwhile, in the Soul Society, Yoruichi managed to get by the gaurds at the senkaimon undetected. It felt weird to be in the Soul Society, because it was for a person reason and not information collecting for Kisuke. She really hoped that she wouldn't get lost in squad four; she wasn't exactly familiar with its halls.

She quickly bypassed the treatments room and found the records room. Her slender hand turned the handle and found it unlocked to her relief. "Okay, if I was an exiled soul reaper record, where would I be?" she asked herself.

Her fingertips traced down the labels on the outside of the cabinets until she found one that was labeled '115 years and older'. She pulled the drawer open and flipped through the files. Elize's name was at the very back.

"Yoruichi Shihoin, what in the world would you be doing in the squad four records room" Retsu Unohana asked walking into the room.

Yoruichi froze _**"Damnit"**_ she cursed; but turned to face the Captain. "I came for medical information on someone who is exiled" she replied. Retsu took several steps closer. "Is this about Kisuke?" she asked.

"Surprisingly, it's not"

"Then who else would you be risking yourself over?"

"Elize Tomoya also known as Elize Urahara"

Retsu's eyes widened and that's when she remembered the connection Kisuke had with the girl. She finished closing the gap between them and took the file from Yoruichi's hand. "I had forgotten about her being Kisuke's daughter. What exactly are you looking for?"

"There is a scar above her pelvis that's not from any battle Shinji Hirako knows of"

Catching her meaning without going into too much detail, she flipped through the pages and stopped on the last page. Her eyes scanned the contents and she felt sick to her stomach. "How can this be, I don't remember doing this to her?" she questioned.

**XxXx There was chapter 13. I'd like to know what you think was in the file about Elize's scar XxXx**


	14. Chapter 14

**XxXx Voting ends tonight. This chapter is an Elize/Kensei one; but there are also answers to questions from the last chapter, I'm sorry if the reason for Elize's scar disturbs anyone; but I needed to find a bigger way to make Aizen an even bigger villain. I do hope everyone enjoys the new chapter and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 14

Yoruichi was concerned by Retsu's tone and took a step closer to her. "Retsu, what don't you remember doing?" she asked fearing that Aizen had done something to her to. Retsu looked up from the file with watery eyes.

"It looks like Sosuke Aizen had her come in for a termination of pregnancy"

Yoruichi's heart sunk and so many thoughts ran through her head; but most of them were ways she could make Aizen suffer for what he did to Elize. "What was done with the embryo or fetus? I don't know how far along she was" she asked dreading what the answer would be.

"It was tested for DNA. She was eleven weeks and Shinji Hirako was the father"

"He doesn't have a clue trust me on that; otherwise, he would have tried to kill Aizen earlier"

"I can't image how he would feel if he knew"

"I'm assuming this was done shortly after her memories were altered"

"Yes"

"You were used, Retsu. Aizen must have used the same stuff on you that he did Elize"

Retsu looked down at the floor, closing her eyes. "I'm so ashamed of what I did. Please let me be of some help to repay for my sin" she pleaded solemnly. Yoruichi gently touched her arm. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Elize will take care of Aizen herself; but maybe you could help Kisuke restore her memories" she suggested.

"Of course, I'll leave immediately"

"Thank you"

Elize finished blow drying her hair and looked in the mirror at herself. Tears were threatening to spill over her lashes. "Don't cry…don't cry" she told herself. She couldn't seem to shake the sorrow filled expression on Shinji's face before he left. Her eyes moved away from the mirror and saw the black box on her dresser.

Instinctively she pulled the ring out of the box. Curiosity got the better of her and she turned the ring to its side. There was engraving on the band underneath and she brushed the metal with her thumb to reveal the writing.

She could no longer fight the tears. The engraving read_ 'Shinji and Elize forever'_ and what Kisuke tried to hide from her, she now knew. "I was engaged" she whispered as she laid the ring back in the box and put it inside the small drawer of her nightstand. She figured Kisuke was waiting for her, so she made her way to the underground training only to see Yoruichi and Captain Retsu Unohana talking with her father.

"Elize" Kisuke said interrupting the two women before him.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Retsu turned to face her. _**"How could I have done such a horrible thing to her?"**_ she thought. Yoruichi stepped forward. "Captain Unohana is here to help your father restore your memories completely; because there is so much you don't remember" she explained.

"Like how I was engaged to Shinji?" Elize snapped.

Kisuke held his breath, knowing he was the reason she figured that painful memory on her own. "Aizen had done very terrible things to you, Elize and I'm here to help you remember it all" Retsu stated calmly.

"Thank you"

Shinji lay on his bed staring at a photo of Elize. Her blue eyes shined with love and happiness. He wanted her to remember everything and come back to him. The longing for her was overwhelming and he didn't know how to feel without her. He could sense Kensei in the room next door and he figured he was getting ready to leave soon. _**"Elize, please don't let go of everything he had"**_ he thought and rolled over onto his side, one tear rolling down his cheek.

Elize felt a sharp pain in her chest and it worried her. "What's wrong?" Kisuke asked. The pain went away as fast as it started. "Nothing" she replied; but it felt like Shinji was near even though he wasn't.

"Okay, you'll need to be asleep for this to work and very relaxed" Retsu explained.

"Relaxed I can do; but I'll need help going to sleep"

She laughed a little. "Don't worry; I'll take care of that". Elize put in an earbud in each ear and lay down on the ground. She turned on her playlist of New Age music. The first song that came on was 'Arcane Voices' but Amethystium and her body almost instantly relaxed.

Yoruichi laid Elize's head on her lap and she motherly stroked her hair. "Ready?" Retsu asked. Reading her lips, she nodded. Kisuke watched as the Captain of squad four put his daughter to sleep. Her healing powers searched Elize's mind for altered blocks. The swirl of her spiritual pressure broke the walls down and Elize's mind became flooded with memories, one right after the other.

Elize's closed eyes streamed tears. "Shh sweetie, it's almost over" Yoruichi soothed as Elize whimpered. She relived her life with Shinji and his proposal. She felt how happy she was with him and the pure bliss of knowing someone loved her for who she was and not because she was a Captain's daughter.

The most painful memory she relived was finding out about her pregnancy and seeing what Aizen had done about it. Aizen had used some device to brainwash her into terminating the pregnancy. He wiped her memories of her happiness with Shinji; and filled her mind with the lies she remembered today. She screamed in emotional agony.

Kisuke's concerned expression turned to a terrified one when he heard the scream. He was helpless to help her. She needed to fight her own inner demons. Yoruichi continued to stroke her hair, calming her as best she could; but Elize's screaming became more intense and her spiritual pressure began to swirl around her, driving Retsu's healing touch away.

"Get back, she's going to change" Kisuke yelled.

Retsu and Yoruichi fled a safe distance away from Elize. Her hollow mask formed in a mere second and instinct took over. A cero formed at her mouth and she released it directly at Retsu. A flash of silver hair slashed straight through the blast.

"Kensei Muguruma?" Retsu said softly.

"What the hell is going on, Kisuke?" he asked harshly.

"Captain Unohana restored the rest of her memories" he replied.

Elize screamed once again sending shockwaves of power throughout the entire training ground, crumbling rocks to the ground. Kensei knew that he needed to break her mask; but getting close to her was going to be a challenge. Her eyes shimmered red through the open star on her mask. Kensei lunged at her with his zanpakuto in hand. He shifted hands with the blade, trying to catch her off guard; but she easily moved out the way.

"Elize, it's me, Kensei" he said trying to reason with her.

She ignored his plea and continued to attack him. Kensei avoided her attacks and caught both her arms into his hands, holding her still. She squirmed to get free; but his grip wasn't going anywhere. Kisuke appeared and cracked her mask with the tip of his zanpakuto. Elize collapsed into Kensei's arms.

Elize knew she was unconscious; but she was aware enough to know that Kensei was holding her. Tears rolled down from her closed eyes again and she stirred awaked unwillingly. "Kensei…" she whispered. He smiled and tightened his hold on her. She gingerly turned her head in the direction of her father. "He took my baby…" she cried.

Kensei felt confused; but put two and two together realizing she was talking about the past. Retsu approached and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. "I am so sorry…I…" she tried to apologize.

"Don't…you were used to. This isn't your fault, so please don't blame yourself"

She nodded and returned to Yoruichi's side. Kensei lifted Elize up bridal style and held her close. "Kensei, would you take her to her room?" Kisuke asked. Without saying a word, he carried her away. Her head lay against his chest. She continued to look at him, savoring his concerned expression; because she felt after she told him about what she remembered, he'd no longer want anything to do with her.

"Where is your room?" he asked when he got into the shop.

"End of the hall on the left" she replied.

He followed her directions and came to her room. Her scent waved under his nose the moment he walked in. "You can put me down" she said meeting his gaze. His golden brown eyes softened. "What if I don't want to?" he asked. She smiled, enjoying his warmth; but eventually flash-stepped out of his arms.

"I should probably tell you what I remember" she said.

"Elize, no matter what you tell me I'm not going to stop caring about you"

"I really hope you mean that"

"Why wouldn't I mean that?"

She took a deep breath and sat down on her bed, curling into her pillows. Kensei sat down next her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Let me be there for you" he whispered. She couldn't help prevent the tears that started to fall from her eyes and all she wanted to do was hug him and never let go.

"I'm sure you know that I was engaged to Shinji a hundred years ago"

"Yes, everyone knew"

"No one knew that I was pregnant, not even him"

"Wow, I uh…"

"Aizen used some sort of device to brainwash me into terminating the pregnancy. I never got a chance to tell him"

Her sobs were becoming more intense and soon it turned into full blown crying. Kensei held her tighter against him. "Shh" he soothed kissing her temple. Her warm tears dripped onto his hands. "How am I supposed to tell him that Aizen had our baby terminated?"

"Take a deep breath. Shinji is mature enough to handle the information and stay in control"

Kensei felt her body relax against him and she looked back at him, shifting her body to the side. He reached his hand out to wipe her tears away. "You're so beautiful" he whispered. She leaned into his touch and placed her hand onto his.

"Kensei"

"Yeah"

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, I'll stay all night if you want me to"

He let go of her and she turned to lie down, kicking her shoes off in the process. He unlocked his boots and pulled them off, placing them neatly beside her bed. Elize rolled onto her side facing him as he tucked his arm around her, pulling her against him. "What is so special about me? Why do you and Shinji care so much about me?" she asked trying to forget the pain she felt about Aizen having her child terminated before she even had a chance to give birth to him or her.

"That's a pretty dumb question. The answer to that should be obvious"

"Well humor me"

"It's everything. Everything you do and say. It isn't your looks; it's your beautiful personality"

She gave him a small smile and buried her face into his chest. Her hand gripped his shirt, drowning her in his scent. "Elize, look at me" he said lifting her chin with a finger. She met his gaze once again and his eyes reflected emotions that she could only guess was love. "I want to kiss you" he said. He barely got the words out of his mouth, when she pressed her lips onto his.

Elize was surprised by the gentleness of his kiss, unlike his previous ones that were aggressive and rough. Kensei pulled her even closer, caressing her back and fighting the urge to pull her on top of him. He had seen the red mark on her neck and knew that she had been intimate with Shinji the night before. He couldn't bring himself to try that with her considering her emotional state.

Kensei brought her bottom lip into his mouth and gently sucked it. She let out a soft moan. "Elize…" he whispered against her moist lips. The call of her name brought her back to her senses, realizing what she was doing. "Elize, I don't want any more than this. I just want to kiss you and hold you" he said noticing her uncomfortable tenseness. She nodded and melted back into his arms.

Elize cuddled into the crook of his arm and he watched her eyes grow heavy. He couldn't even image how tired she was considering all she went through just mere hours ago. "I'm sorry I wasn't more fun…" she whispered half asleep. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "You were plenty fun, babe. Now get some sleep" he replied. It wasn't five minutes and she was peacefully sleeping next to Kensei. He smiled down at her and decided that he didn't want to leave her in case she woke in the middle of the night. "I love you, Elize. I'll protect you always" he whispered and closed his eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

**XxXx The voting has ended and I counted the votes this morning. According to what you guys wanted the voting was like this Shinji: 4 and Kensei: 2. So it seems like you guys wanted her to be with Shinji; but I promise I'll make things interesting for the Kensei fans. Here is the new chapter, I hope you all enjoy it and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 15

Kisuke sat with Yoruichi at the round table drinking tea. There was so much running through his mind that he just seemed lost. She studied him, not saying a word. The shop was quiet at one in the morning and he could sense that Kensei was still in his daughter's room. _**"He must have stayed to comfort her"**_ he thought.

"I can't believe how much we didn't know" he finally said aloud.

"Aizen was always a slimy bastard" Yoruichi replied.

"Why her, Yoruichi? I just don't understand it?"

"Maybe it's personal against you"

"It would make sense, if that was the case"

He recalled the main reason Aizen hated him and it was twenty-five years before he became Captain of Squad Twelve. Kisuke had just found out he would be becoming a father. Lynneah, the love of his life, was always fancied by Sosuke Aizen; and he never stopped pursuing her until he found out she was with child.

Elize was born and six years later she was killed by a hollow. Everyone suspected Aizen was behind it; but it was never proven. He left Elize alone until she was promoted to third seat of either Squad Five or Squad Nine. _**"How could I have been so blind"**_ he thought closing his eyes, guilt setting in.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he never noticed Yoruichi get up and sit down directly next to him. She took his hand into hers, lacing her fingers with his. "Kisuke, she's a strong girl and she'll beat Aizen" she said with a smile. He looked into her eyes and saw the sincerity of her words. Without even blinking he leaned in the pressed his lips onto hers.

It had taken twenty years after Lynneah's death to embrace Yoruichi's companionship and love; but when he did, he never regretted the decision. Elize loved her like a mother and she loved Elize like a daughter. "Come to bed, we will teach her control tomorrow" she said after they had broken the kiss. He complied with her request and followed her to their room.

The next morning, Elize awoke in Kensei's arms. She smiled at the peaceful look upon his face. His eyes started to open and they met hers. "Morning, beautiful" he said sleepily. A blush crept to her cheeks. She hid it by leaning down and attempting to kiss him; but he turned his head away. "What's wrong?" she asked hurt by his rejection.

Kensei sat up and flipped his legs over the side of her bed. A sigh escaped his mouth. "Elize, I love you and I always will; but you need to talk to Shinji about everything" he stated as he put his boots back on. Even though she knew he was right, she couldn't help but feel hurt by his rejection. It was like he had given up on her and their friendship. Tears burned her eyes as she got up from her bed.

"Okay…" she replied softly sobbing.

He heard the sobs and immediately felt guilt for rejecting her kiss; but it felt wrong to take advantage of the situation. "Elize... I didn't mean to upset you; but you know that you have to talk to him" he said turned in her direction. She wiped her wet eyes with her fingers and turned to her closet for clothes. "I know… I just didn't think I'd lose your friendship in the process"

Her words stabbed him straight in the chest. He instantly closed the distance between them. "Is that what you think?" he asked. She pulled out a navy blue floral tank top dress and a pair of brown boots. "You just rejected me, what am I supposed to think?" she asked.

"Just because I rejected your kiss does not mean I rejected our friendship"

"Okay"

"Elize you're always going to be my close friend, nothing will ever break that; not even if you choose to be with Shinji"

She turned her head to face him. He smiled at her and opened his arm out for her. A smile formed and a tiny laugh escaped her mouth as she walked into his arms. "I really should get dressed and figure out how I'm going to tell Shinji all of this" she said holding on even tighter.

"I could have him come here, if that makes it easier?"

"Yeah that probably best. Hiyori still hates me"

"And why is that?"

"It's because Shinji chose me over her. She never accepted the rejection"

"I see"

"Now you know why I'm so afraid of losing your friendship"

"I'm not Hiyori"

"No, thank god"

Kensei chuckled. "I'll get him here sometime today" he replied and let her go out of his arms. She smiled and waved a goodbye. He left her room and out of the shop. Deep inside he knew that she'd choose Shinji; but he didn't want to lose hope.

He walked into the warehouse and found Shinji in the training ground talking to his zanpakuto. He cautiously approached. "Is there something you wanted?" Shinji asked. Kensei sighed and took another step closer. "Elize wants to talk to you. She remembers everything". Shinji's eyes widened and felt his heart race a million miles a minute.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll go tonight"

"Why are you still wasting your time on her?" Hiyori snapped.

"None of your business" Shinji replied.

"She's holding you back"

"No she isn't and your jealousy of her is annoying"

Hiyori turned her head and walked away.

Elize walked into the training ground to find her father; but he wasn't there. Yoruichi was practicing on some dummies and she never realized just how fast she really was. Yoruichi sensed Elize and stopped mid-stop. "Hey you're early today" she said.

"Do you know where my dad is?"

"He's away today"

"Oh okay"

"You're training with me today"

"Really?" she asked in a perky tone.

Yoruichi laughed at her enthusiasm. "It's not much today; but you need to form a greater bond with your zanpakuto so you can achieve bankai" she explained. Elize never thought about bankai before; but it appealed to her in more ways than one. A wave of spiritual pressure surrounded her from Yoruichi and the bottom of her dress flowed around the wave.

Elize held her zanpakuto in her hand tightly and felt its power surge throughout her body. _**"Come on Elize, let's do this"**_ Inazuma said inside Elize's mind. She pulled Inazuma free from her sheath and swiftly stabbed the tip into the ground. She sat down with her legs to the side and slowly drifted into a meditative state.

Before long, her zanpakuto's home was before her. Rocky cliffs with a dark ocean below, cloudy skies with thunderbolts sparking against the cliffs. A woman stood at the top of one of the cliffs. She had long flowing blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She wore black leather pants and a red silk top that buttoned up the front. A gold belt hung loosely around her waist that held a sword at her side.

"It's been too long, Elize" she said turned to face her master.

"Yes it had Inazuma"

"Shall we get to this?"

Oh yeah"

Elize drew her zanpakuto and in a second they clashed. Her blue eyes showed determination and it surprised Inazuma greatly. _**"The girl has changed"**_ she thought. Elize met her zanpakuto's moves blow for blow; but doubt started to set in and she worried that she would disappoint her father and Yoruichi by not being able to achieve bankai.

Yoruichi looked on and watched the sweat drip from Elize's face. It had been several hours since she first went into the meditative state and judging from the spiritual pressure she was pushing out, her zanpakuto was putting up a fight.

"She's still at it?" Kisuke asked walking up to them.

"Five hours and counting" she replied.

"Maybe we should snap her out of it; it's been a long day"

"Alright"

Yoruichi jumped down from the rock she was standing on and walked up to Elize. Her hand wrapped around the hilt of the zanpakuto and pulled it from the ground, breaking the connection. Elize sucked in a sharp deep breath, awakening from the meditative state.

"Damnit" Elize cursed.

"You did pretty well for the first day" Yoruichi commented.

"I really didn't do much"

"It's going to take at least a week"

"Okay, now I don't feel as bad"

Kisuke laughed at her innocence of battle and training. He lifted his head up, sensing Shinji approaching. "Go on, we are done for today. Besides, I believe you have a guest" he told her. Elize looked up at her father and felt Shinji's warm presence. A smile formed and gave her father a quick hug.

"She's almost like a teenage again" Yoruichi said.

"Yeah except she's 125 years old"

"Still young"

Elize ran up the stairs and out the front door. Shinji was turning the corner and caught sight of her. The moment she saw him, her heart swelled and happiness was embedded in every pore of her body. "Elize" he said softly and closing the distance between them. He noticed how happy she seemed to see him and it made his heart race once again.

"You wanted to see me" he said.

"Yes. I remember everything now"

"How? I thought it was one memory every other day"

"Captain Restu Unohana helped"

"She did? Why?"

Elize knew he was going to ask that and she dreaded telling him the reason. She was tired of crying; but the tears were there. She could feel them. "Come inside and we will talk" she replied avoiding his question. He followed her with a concerned look. She looked happy; but he felt that she was hiding something.

"Good evening, Shinji" Kisuke said as they passed the main room.

"Hello Kisuke" he replied.

"Dad, we will be in my room talking" Elize said.

"Okay"

Shinji noticed Kisuke's sorrow filled expression and it worried him even more. _**"Maybe she's going to tell me that she wants Kensei"**_ he thought. Elize opened the door to her bedroom and stepped inside, breathing in the calming scent of the candle burning on the window seal. Shinji followed seconds later and closed the door behind him; but he didn't move from the spot by the door.

"Shinji…why are standing there? Sit down"

"I'm fine right here"

She let out a disappointed sigh. She should have known he'd react distantly with her considering what she had told him the day before. "Okay, I guess I deserve that reaction" she replied. He hated being cold with her; because it wasn't how he felt. She walked to her nightstand and opened the small drawer. Her hand picked up the small black box.

Shinji watched her as she pulled out a ring; a ring he recognized as the engagement ring he had once put on her finger. "Does this ring ring a bell for you?" she asked. She watched his reaction to seeing the symbol of love in between her forefinger and thumb.

"Of course it does" he replied.

"I remember all of it. Every happy moment between us and every time we made love to each other"

"That was the past, Elize. It's not like you feel that way now"

His words broke the dam of tears that were being held back. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "How can you say that? We slept tighter the other day. Do you really think I'd do that if I didn't feel for you" she cried.

**XxXx Sorry I broke the conversation into two parts; but I like to leave you guessing. I hope you enjoyed XxXx**


	16. Chapter 16

**XxXx Sorry it's taken so long for this update; but I've been working a lot this week and haven't found extra time to write. Well there will be some upcoming twists and turns pretty soon and I hope everyone continues to read and enjoy it. So here is the new chapter, enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 16

Shinji knew that her feelings were hurt by his words; but he had to say them in order to know for sure if she felt anything real for him now. It had been over a hundred years since Aizen took their happiness away and he didn't know for sure if what she felt for him now was real, or just remnants of the memories.

"Shinji, there is something not even you know about the past" she said controlling the flow of tears.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"After we got engaged I found out that I was pregnant"

"What…"

"I was eleven weeks when Aizen altered my memories and used some sort of device on me to make me terminate the pregnancy. That's why Retsu came to help; she was used by Aizen by performing the procedure one me"

Shinji took in the information that Elize just spilled out. _**"I was going to be a father"**_ he thought. He felt numb at that moment. Elize sat down on her bed and ran a hand through her hair. She didn't know how much more she could cry before there wasn't anything left. Every tear that dripped down her face burned. "Say something, anything" she said.

"I don't know what to say. If I let myself feel, I'll snap. Aizen killed our baby Elize"

"I know…"

"Elize, I will kill him. He's sunk to a new low"

"Shinji, you're not going to kill him"

He raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Excuse me" he said. She turned her head in his direction. Her eyes expressed determination. "You're not going to kill him because I'm going to kill him" she replied. He was completely stunned by her response. He took a step towards her, forgetting about his doubts.

Elize stood up and walked closer, her heels clicking as she walked. "You can't put yourself through that. You've never taken a life Elize. It'll haunt you" he said. She took his hand and laced her fingers with his. "It has to be me. He's done way too much to me and you" she replied. She felt his fingers curl around her hand.

"If that is what you want then I'll be there with you" he said reaching with his other hand to caress her cheek with his thumb.

His touch ignited her body and she realized that he was testing her. She didn't know how to prove to him that it was real to her just as it was to him. "Thank you for telling me all of this" he said and removed his hand from her face.

"Shinji…" she replied with obvious disappointment in her voice.

"Elize, I need some time to sort all this out. If what you feel for me is real, then you'll understand"

"You really don't believe what I feel for you is real"

"No"

"Then why did you sleep with me?"

"I was showing you how I feel. I made love to you because I love you"

"I love you too"

Shinji's heart melted. Those were the words he'd waited over a hundred years to hear again; but his doubt was overwhelming. There was one thing he needed to know and that was if she felt anything for Kensei.

"Do you love Kensei?" he asked.

"Not like I love you" she replied.

"That's not really answering my question"

"Kensei is a close friend. I'm always going to love him like a friend"

He was relieved to hear her say that; but he almost wanted her to give Kensei a chance. Almost. She took both sides of his face into her hands and held his head firmly. "Shinji, believe me when I tell you that I love you and I always will love you" she said almost crying.

Shinji reached up and placed both of his hands on top of hers. The look on her face was breaking his heart. "Even when I didn't have memories of us together, I felt for you. I always have" she admitted.

Her confession caught him completely off guard. He couldn't fight her anymore. Swiftly, he leaned his head closer to hers and captured her lips. The feelings made her body heat up and soar to new heights. Elize swiped her tongue against his parted lips and he granted her access to his wet mouth.

Shinji moved his hands from hers and moved down her arms, softly tracing lines with his fingertips. Her hands left his face and held onto his shirt for leverage. "Do you believe me now?" she whispered. He danced his tongue on the outside of her jaw and down to the base of her neck. He ignored her question, lust was clouding his judgment and she was letting him.

"Shinji…" she moaned as she felt his hands slide up the bottom of her dress.

They backed into her bed. He sat down pulling her onto his lap. Her eyes were hazy with desire and it made her that much more desirable. "Elize if we don't stop now, than I'm going to make love to you" he said gripping her hips firmly. She smiled and nuzzled his neck, gently placing a tender kiss on his skin. "What's wrong with that?" she asked.

"Nothing; but someone's coming and I doubt you'd want to be caught in that predicament" he replied with a sheepish grin.

"Who would be coming at this time of night?"

She closed her eyes and concentrated on the warm spiritual pressure. The blue glow she could see in her mind could only mean one person. "It's Kensei" she whispered. Shinji knew that already. He didn't need him to see them making love. It would destroy him and his motivation to fight against Aizen; otherwise, he wouldn't have cared.

"There is someone with him" she said in a hopeful voice.

"It's Lisa" he replied.

Elize got off Shinji's lap and straightened her dress. She was about to open her bedroom door; but he grabbed her arm. He stood behind her and pulled the lobe of her ear in between his lips, gently sucking the flesh. "I fully intend to make love to you tonight. We have a lot of catching up to do" he whispered in a lustful husky voice. She instantly turned around. "So you believe me?" she asked.

"I believe you, babe"

A smile appeared on her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. He held her and he finally felt complete.

Kisuke sensed the two vizards closing in on the shop and he was hesitant on letting them inside, knowing Shinji and Elize needed to talk; but he let them inside. Kensei turned to look at Lisa. She was still in her place, waiting to see Elize.

"I'm guessing you're here to see my daughter" he said.

"Yeah, is she with Shinji?" Kensei asked.

"Yeah; but they are coming out"

Elize turned the corner with Shinji behind her. Lisa smiled and rushed at her. Her arms grabbed her and held on. "Did you miss me?" Elize asked with a smile.

"Yeah, it's awful there without you"

"It's not that bad" Kensei piped in.

"How are the others? Do they miss me?"

"Love asks about you all the time" Shinji said.

"Rose and Haichi miss you" Lisa said.

"What about Mashiro?"

"Her to" Kensei answered.

No one mentioned Hyori. Everyone knew that there was no quieting of the hatred that Hyori felt for Elize. Kisuke brought in tea and they sat around the small table talking.

"So you really have all your memories now?" Lisa asked.

"Yes I do" Elize replied with another smile.

"I'm glad. I envied that you and Shinji had back then. I hope you continue to have that"

Kensei said nothing. The way Elize looked at Shinji confirmed that she was truly in love with him. _**"How can I change her mind?"**_ he thought. Lisa placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes locked with her. "You okay?" she asked.

"Not really" he replied and got up.

"Kensei" Elize said.

He turned to look at her. "You don't need me here, Elize. I'm going back home". She felt hurt instantly. He was breaking a promise. Kensei walked out of the room and without thinking, Elize followed him. Shinji watched the sorrow on her face and he realized it was because of him. She was about to lose her best friend because she loved him.

Once outside, Kensei punched the tree next to him. The tree snapped in half and blew across the road in front of him. "Kensei…" Elize said softly concern etching her voice.

"Go back inside" he snapped.

"Don't do this. You told me that you wouldn't stop caring about me even if I chose Shinji. Don't tell you you're taking that back"

"I can't watch you be with him a second time. I'm sorry"

"So you're going to throw away a century of friendship?"

Kensei was silent. He didn't know what to say to that. A century was a very long time to be friends. When he heard her start to cry, he turned to face her. "Your tears are wasted" he said.

"How can you say that? You were there for me for over a century. You are my best friend"

"I don't want to throw it away; but you don't need me now that Shinji is a major part of your life"

"I need you both"

Elize sat down on the porch step. Her hair hung into her eyes, covering her face from his gaze. _**"How did it come to this? Why must I continue to lose people?"**_ she thought as warm tears rolled down her cheeks.

**XxXx There is going to be major twists for this love triangle in the next chapter; but this story is far from over so, Shinji fans please be patient. Stay tuned for the next chapter XxXx**


	17. Chapter 17

**XxXx Well this chapter has a twist in the love triangle. In my opinion you just can't have the couple be together right off the bat without some hardships to overcome first. Elize is going to show a different side of her that's hasn't been seen yet. I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 17

Elize was silent and it was bothering Kensei. He found himself walking towards her and sitting down next to her. He didn't know what to do or say. They both sat in silence until she felt his hand on the bare skin of her leg. His touch still ignited desire between her legs and it confused her.

"Please don't throw our friendship away" she pleaded lifting her head up to meet his gaze.

"I can't promise anything, so I'm going to kiss you one last time. You probably won't see me until the war starts"

Kensei cradled the back of her head with his hand. He pulled her lips to his. She found herself clinging onto his shirt, fearing that he really meant what he said. He pulled away abruptly, sensing Shinji closing in. "Goodbye Elize" he said letting her go.

"Elize" Shinji said walking out onto the porch.

She turned to look at him, tears cascading down her red cheeks. Kensei never looked back as he walked away. "Kensei" Shinji yelled. He stopped but didn't face him. "You can't just walk away from her" he said again.

"I can and I just did"

"Please, Kensei…." She cried.

Shinji looked down at Elize and saw the despair continuing to grow. Kensei continued to walk away and Shinji knew that he needed to do something or she would blame herself for him walking away; but he didn't know what to do. Lisa walked onto the porch, her hands clenched into fists.

"Kensei get your ass back here" she yelled.

"This isn't any of your business, Lisa" Kensei snapped turned his head in her direction.

"It is when you hurt one of our own. Kensei you've been close with her for over a century. Why throw that away?"

"Just drop it"

Elize looked at Shinji and her eyes looked like they lost a part of the light in them. _**"She lied. She does love him"**_ he thought. Shinji laced his fingers with her and squeezed tightly. Realizing that he had to let her go to figure out if she really loved him after all. "Elize, go to him" he whispered. Her eyes widened in shock; but she shook her head to decline his request.

Shinji pulled his hand away from hers and backed away a few steps. "Not you too" she whispered. Her eyes stared into his and she felt like he had left her to. She couldn't take anymore heartbreak and she felt close to snapping.

Kensei watched as she backed away from everyone. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. A swirl of spiritual pressure surrounded her. Lisa's mouth hung open in disbelief. Her strength had increased dramatically since the last time she felt it.

"Elize" Shinji said taking a step towards her.

"Don't" she snapped.

He stopped and realized that he had made a mistake. Kensei started to walk towards her. "Is this what you both want, to leave me when you know how much pain I deal with?" she asked. No one could say a word, her spiritual pressure continued to increase and it stunned them even more. "Go ahead, walk away!" she yelled. Lisa didn't know what to do. She had never seen her act the way she was right at that moment.

"I no longer consider myself a vizard and when this war starts, stay out of my way or you may get cut down along with Aizen"

"Elize, you don't mean that" Lisa pleaded.

"I'm dead serious. I don't want any of you to show up here again"

Shinji felt his heart tear open and a void enter it, devouring it. Elize walked back into the shop and slammed the door shut. The three vizards couldn't move they were too stunned to move. Elize saw her father standing before her with a concerned look upon his face.

"Elize, what happened?" Kisuke asked.

"I alienated myself from them. I don't need them to fulfill what I'm training to do" she replied.

She walked passed him and closed the bedroom door. Kisuke couldn't believe how much was falling apart before the war had even started. Somehow he knew that he needed to mend the group he had called the vizards.

"What do we do now?" Lisa asked.

"What can we do? She's rejected everything" Shinji replied.

"Do you blame her?" Kensei asked.

"No, we've made quite a mess out of everything"

Kensei knew that he had pushed her. If he hadn't been selfish about her then she would still be smiling. He had to fix it or his existence would have no meaning; but there was nothing he could do at that moment. He hesitantly followed Lisa and Shinji back to the warehouse.

The next day Elize woke up with a slight headache on the left side of her head. One of those dull throbbing, annoying pains in the temple; but she knew exactly why it was there. She had pushed herself too far emotionally and used way too much spiritual energy.

The sun was barely over the horizon when she tossed the covers off and got up out of bed. Her legs gingerly moved her body to her closet. She pulled out a navy blue ribbed tank top and a pair of black cargo pants. Her fingertips pulled open her bra and panties drawer; and then she picked out a matching pair.

The warm water from the shower relived a lot of the tension in her head. After rinsing her hair, she turned the water off. Her ears perked when she heard hushed voices outside the door. _**"It sounds like dad and Kensei"**_ she thought. She quickly got dressed and brushed the wet tangles in her hair. The hushed voiced continued and her anger swelled. A wave of spiritual pressure shattered the mirror above the sink.

Elize angerly opened the bathroom door and stood face to face with Kensei. "What did I tell you last night?" she snapped. Kensei remained calm and never flinched at her tone. Kisuke turned towards his daughter, fearing she would attack him. "He's here to help, Elize" he said touching her shoulder.

"Help me with what? Shattering my heart to pieces?"

"Elize…I…."

"Shut up, I don't want to hear anything you have to say"

"He's here to help with your bankai training today" Kisuke finished.

"Where is Yoruichi?"

"In the Soul Society"

"Why can't you help me?"

She was running out of options and it frustrated her. "My bankai isn't meant to help train, trust me you'll be fine" he encouraged. She rolled her eyes at her father's enthusiasm. She didn't have a choice at that point and she gave up trying to figure out a way to get out of training. Kensei gave her a small smile, trying to get a reaction out of her. He hated that she was so angry at him; but he couldn't blame her, because he was the reason she was angry.

"Let's get this over with" she said grabbing her zanpakuto out of her father's hand.

Kensei gave Kisuke a smile and a silent 'thank you' as he passed him, following Elize into the training ground. Kisuke hoped that Kensei would be able to get through to her and something would come of it. Elize came to the ground and realized that her father wasn't with them. _**"I knew this was his idea"**_ she thought.

"How close are you to bankai?" Kensei asked.

"I have no idea" she replied.

"Have you physically manifested your zanpakuto?"

Elize turned to face him. Her eyes displayed pure anger. "No, now why are you here Kensei?" she asked harshly. He reached down and pulled his zanpakuto from the pocket of his pants. In a second he was at her. She raised her still sheathed zanpakuto up to block his attack. "I'm here to help you" he replied.

"You suck at lying, always have" she said using her strength to shove him back.

She could feel Inazuma call to her and she quickly released her from the confines of her sheath. "I'm sorry about last night" he said softly. She snorted in annoyance. "You want me to believe you're sorry about wanting to throw away a century of friendship?" she asked. He took a step closer to her. "Yes" he answered.

"Well I don't believe you. I lost you and Shinji because you wanted to throw everything away. Name one good thing I have left. I'm a failed experiment of Aizen's and now I can't even keep the people I love around" she yelled.

She lunged at him, switching hands with the blade. Kensei clashed his blade against hers, feeling her strength course up his arm. "You didn't lose anything. I'm right here" he said forcing her back several feet. "Yeah because my father asked you to be here" she answered changing hands again.

"Your father didn't ask me here. I asked to be here"

Her eyes widened a little and he noticed the slight opening; but she closed herself off once again by pulling her zanpakuto in front of her. "Surge, Inazuma no sonzai" she called. Her blade split into two. The chains wrapped around her wrists and forearms. They clanked against each other causing sparks of electricity to fly.

Kensei's eyes widened when he saw a woman behind Elize with long blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She held the same weapon in her hands as Elize did. _**"She manifested her zanpakuto"**_ he thought and smiled at her progress.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked.

"Look behind you" he replied.

Elize turned around to see Inazuma standing there, manifested. She couldn't believe that she had just manifested her zanpakuto. She was close to bankai and felt it deep inside her heart. "You're very close to bankai now" Kensei said. He held Tachikaze tightly in his hand and he knew the only way she was going to fully reach bankai was for her to train against a bankai. Elize studied him and was curious about what he'd do next to help her achieve bankai. Her anger diminished and found herself admiring the way his body moved. The muscles of his arms twitched as his grip on the hilt of his zanpakuto grew tighter.

"Kensei, what are you doing?" she asked.

He ignored her question and mentally prepared himself for a long training session in his bankai form. He noticed the softness in her eyes return when she looked at him and he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of it.

"Bankai" he called.

**XxXx Well there is Chapter 17 and I was wondering if you guys think I'm missing anything or is there something you'd like to see happen? XxXx**


	18. Chapter 18

**XxXx Well the bankai training continues and the next two chapters will run down memory lane between Kensei and Elize's history. Who knows maybe after reading these chapters you guys may decide to change your mind about who you want her to end up with lol. Please let me know if there is something you'd like to see happen with any of the characters in this story. Here is chapter 18, enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 18

Elize's eyes widened a little. She didn't expect him to use bankai to get her to achieve her own. The moment he called for bankai, an explosion of wind surrounded him. A few moments later the wind dispersed and Tachikaze transformed from one combat knife to a pair of large blades on his knuckles. Purple bands wrapped around his arms like armor and a thicker purple bank arched behind him, with the end protruding from under his shoulders.

"Tekken Tachikaze" he announced.

She was slightly impressed by his display of power; but the reality was that she had already seen it once before. The memory of that day brought all too familiar feelings to her heart.

_**Flashback**_

_ Being a seventh seat made it pretty easy to remain unnoticed by higher classed soul reapers. Elize flash-stepped away from the Squad Ten barracks. She felt antsy being cooped up in one place for a long period of time. "Elize" a voice called. She turned to see Lisa running in her direction. Lisa was pretty laid back for a lieutenant; but she was the greatest friend anyone could ask for._

"_What are you doing?" Lisa asked._

"_Going for a walk. I'm getting uptight being cooped up all day" Elize replied._

"_Mind if I walk with ya?"_

"_Not at all"_

_ Elize had no idea where she was walking to; but her body felt drawn to a spiritual pressure she felt. Lisa walked beside her, mindlessly chatting away about her Captain and how much of a flirt he was. "Did you ever think that maybe he likes you?" Elize asked._

"_He flirts with all the women of the squad. It isn't just me"_

"_I bet he does"_

"_Elize, where are we going? Squad Nine is that way"_

_**"Squad Nine…"**__ she thought and continued to walk in that direction. Lisa seemed curious about what her friend was doing. A rumble shook the ground beneath them and both stopped mid-step. "That's an amazing amount of spiritual pressure" Elize commented. Lisa chuckled. "That's the Captain of Squad Nine" she replied._

"_Really?"_

"_Come on, I'll show you"  
_

_ Elize followed Lisa discreetly through the barracks and towards the training grounds. Lisa signaled for her to come closer over the ledge. She peered over the cliff and saw a man in a Captain Haori. He had silver hair that was short with longer front banks, which hung over his face. His shihakusho was sleeveless and open in the front, exposing his muscular chest. She noted the tattoo below his chest of the number '69'._

"_Wow" she whispered._

"_Elize, are you drooling?" Lisa asked with a soft chuckle._

"_What! No…"_

_ A blush reddened her cheeks, proving she was lying. "Being that hot should be a sin" Lisa commented. Elize ignored it and watched him intently. A wind surrounded him and she heard him call out the word 'bankai'. She shielded her eyes from the intense wind that blew in the area. When she opened them again, he was in a completely different form._

"_What is his name?" Elize asked._

"_Kensei Muguruma" Lisa replied._

_ Kensei looked up at the top of the cliff, as if he had heard them talking. Elize ducked her head; but Lisa was caught. "Lisa is that you" he yelled. __**"Even is voice is perfect"**__ she thought as Lisa took a step closer to the Captain below them._

"_Yeah it's me" she replied jumping from the edge._

"_What the hell are you doing here?" he asked._

"_Taking a walk with a friend"_

_ Elize's heart froze. __**"She isn't going to bring me down there, is she?"**__ she thought. "Where is this friend?" Kensei asked. She panicked and flash-stepped away before Lisa could do anything else._

_**End of Flashback**_

Elize moved into a fighting stance that he had taught her. He recognized it and it flattered him to know that she still remembered it. Inazuma pulsed in her hand and it urged her to make the first move. Using her speed to her advantage, she used shunpo to get behind him. Turning her wrist, her strike grazed his armored arm; but the electricity sent jolts throughout his body.

"Damn, I forgot how much that zanpakuto of yours hurts" Kensei said moving his arm to regain feeling in it.

Inazuma smirked at her master's new found aggression. Elize only allowed Kensei a moment of rest and then resumed her assault. Kensei continued to block her attacks and look for an opening to strike. _**"She's so fast. I don't remember her being this fast"**_ he thought as one of his knuckle blades came in contact with one of her lightning filled ones. A grin appeared on her face, realizing she had him right where she wanted him.

"Sho geki-tekina raito" she called.

Both blades shot out several large sparks of lightning. Kensei backed away and attempted to dodge them. Elize raised a hand over her face and her hollow mask formed. She vanished from his sight; but felt her kick to the back of head. One last bolt of lightning crashed down and he couldn't get around it.

The bolt hit him dead on and he tumbled to the ground. "Damnit" he groaned as he got back to his feet. Blood slithered down his forehead. Elize looked on with her hollow mask still intact. Inazuma disappeared and her mask faded. Elize returned to the ground and sheathed her zanpakuto.

"What are you doing? We aren't done" Kensei snapped.

"I can't achieve bankai this way. I have to make my zanpakuto submit into it" she replied.

_**"Busted"**_ Tachikaze chuckled inside Kensei's mind. He allowed his bankai form to fade. "Thanks for letting me kick your ass though" she laughed. He raised an eyebrow at her comments. Her laugh made his heart beat oddly.

"I didn't let you. It just shows how much stronger you've become" he replied.

"Are you complimenting me?"

"Yes"

"Save them, they mean nothing to me"

She turned to walk away. Kensei grabbed her arm and held it firmly. "Let go of me right now" she snapped pulling against his grip. "Not until you listen to what I have to say" he replied. Her eyes narrowed and flash-stepped out of his grasp; but her path was blocked by him.

Elize attempted to get away from him several more times; but each time he blocked her way. "Didn't let me huh? You seem faster than me now" she said bitterly. He groaned in annoyance. "So what, you've grown in strength ten times since we trained together last" he replied. She relaxed a little and pushed her hair behind her ears, a habit he'd known about for when she was nervous or anxious.

"I'm listening" she said softly crossing her arms over her chest.

"I am sorry about what I said last night. I was just upset that you had chosen Shinji. I don't want to throw anything away"

"It's too late for that and now I have no one"

"A choice you recklessly made out of anger"

"It's the way it had to be. I can't let myself feel or I'll be consumed by despair"

He looked into her eyes. The blue he had loved so much was lifeless and dull. _**"How can I show her that I'm still here?"**_ he thought. He knew that he needed to find a way into her heart. He realized all of this started with memories, so maybe memories were the key this time to.

"Do you remember when we met?" he asked.

His question made her stop and think. Of course she remembered when they had met. "How can you ask me that? Of course I remember" she asked her voice cracking with surprise. He gave her a sincere smile that made her weak in the knees.

_**Flashback**_

_It had been a week since her promotion to third sear of Squad Five. Captain Hirako had given her the day off to get familiar with the barracks; but she found herself wandering off outside the Squad. Ahead of her, Lisa was talking to a fellow squad member._

"_Elize, good to see you" she said with a smile._

"_Can we talk?"_

"_Course"_

_ She left the squad member and walked with Elize along the paths of the Eighth Squad. "What happened to you last week?" Lisa asked. Elize knew what she was talking about. The day they had spied on the Captain of Squad Nine. A blush tinted her cheeks and she felt like a teenager all over again._

"_I panicked. I didn't want you to bring me down there"_

"_Why? He's a great guy when he isn't being a dick"_

"_I'm sure he is. To be honest, I kind of watched him two other times after that"_

"_Elize Urahara, do you have a crush?"_

"_Don't be ridiculous. I'm just amazed by his strength. I wanted to learn a few things"_

"_Then why didn't you choose Squad Nine when you had the choice?"_

"_Lieutenant Aizen convinced me to join Squad Five and it's okay so far; but my captain is so odd"_

_ Lisa laughed. "Shinji is always like that; but he loves his subordinates. He's a great Captain" she replied. Elize smiled and they continued walking. Squad Nine was ahead of them and Elize was starting to panic. "Where are we going?" she asked._

"_Lisa Yadomaru" a voice called behind them._

"_Kensei…" she whispered._

_ Elize turned her head and saw the Captain standing there. Her body trembled at the sight of him that close. __**"He's even more gorgeous up close"**__ she thought. "What brings you to my domain? Who's the girl with you?" he asked slightly glancing in Elize's direction._

"_Just walking and this is my friend, Elize Urahara"_

"_Urahara? Are you related to Kisuke Urahara?" he asked._

"_Yes, sir. He's my father"_

"_A Captain's daughter, impressive. You must be pretty strong as well"_

"_I'm a third seat, sir"_

_ Kensei studied her face for a moment and found himself staring. "Kensei, are you alright?" Lisa asked. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, fine" he replied. He turned to face Elize again. He was amazed by how beautiful she was. Judging by the way she stood and spoke, he guessed that she was shy; but outspoken to people she knows._

"_Well, Elize, feel free to stop by anytime. My Squad will welcome you"_

"_Thank you, sir"_

"_Just call me Kensei"_

"_Um…sure"_

_ He smiled and walked away. Elize let out a soft sigh and Lisa placed a hand on her shoulder. "I've never seen him act that way when meeting someone knew. He must like you" Lisa commented._

_**End of Flashback**_

Elize sat down on a rock and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. Kensei watched her closely, wondering if talking about their memories would pull her back to herself; the woman he fell in love with.

**XxXx I realized that I never told you what her Zanpakuto means. Well here are all the meanings…**

**Inazuma no sonzai- Presence of Lightning**

**Sho geki-tekina ratio- Shocking lights**

**XxXx**


	19. Chapter 19

**XxXx I hope everyone is enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it for all of you. This is another Kensei/Elize memory lane chapter. Enjoy and as always please review. **

**EaSnowPw: this chapter is for you XxXx**

Chapter 19

Shinji sat in his room in a meditative state, talking to his zanpakuto. During the day, he spent most of it training trying to get Elize off his mind. He couldn't seem to get her angry heartbroken expression out of his thoughts. The walk back to the warehouse was spent making decisions about her.

He felt like had made a mistake giving her up; but it was the only way to help her sort everything out. "Shinji" Lisa called knocking on the door frame.

"Not now, Lisa" he replied.

"You did the right thing, you know"

"Then why the hell do I feel so shitty?"

"Because you love her"

He did love her; but he felt like he just pushed her into Kensei's direction. All he could do was wait and see what would happen. The war was a month away and it was plenty of time to get everything sorted out.

_**Flashback**_

_ Shinji, Kensei, and Lisa walked away from Kisuke's shop. Seeing Elize's demeanor change in a few minutes from upset to bitterly angry was heartbreaking to all of them._

"_How do we fix this?" Lisa asked._

"_I don't know if we can" Shinji replied._

_ Kensei didn't say a word. The guilt was written all over his face and Shinji could see it clear as day. "Kensei, what do you think?" Lisa asked. He stopped walking. Shinji waited for an answer. "I was wrong to say that to her" he finally answered._

"_We know you didn't mean it" she said._

_ Shinji could hear the heartache and despair on his voice. He knew that Kensei loved her; but he also thought that maybe Elize felt the same way deep down. He could feel the sympathy from his zanpakuto __**"The only way you're going to know for sure is to let her go for now"**__ her voice echoed. His mind was made up._

"_Kensei, talk to her" Shinji stated._

"_What!" he replied in utter shock._

"_She is so confused about everything. I just didn't want to see it"_

"_What could I possible do or say to her?"_

"_You have history together. You know her in ways I could never know. She never gave you a fair chance to see if she has feeling for you romantically"_

_ Kensei was stunned and Shinji could see that he was processing it. "You have history with her to" he replied. Lisa reached for Shinji's hand with her left hand and Kensei's hand with her right hand. "Trust me, this is best" he said._

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Yes"_

_ There were no more words exchanged the rest of the way back to the warehouse. Lisa had a smile upon her face. She had witnessed maturity in both men and it was a relief to her._

_**End of Flashback**_

Kensei knelt down in front of her, searching her face. "Do you know what I thought when I first met you?" he asked. Elize looked up at him. There was a hint of softness back in her eyes. "No" she replied simply.

"I thought you were shy; but outspoken to the people you knew. I found you to be amazingly beautiful"

"Don't" she said standing up.

She walked passed him to put enough space between them. "Just so you know, that day that you busted Lisa at the training ground; the friend she was with was me" she stated and tightened her grip on the hilt of Inazuma. He chuckled and took a step closer to her. "I already knew that. The way you acted the day we met was a dead giveaway"

"I'm going to call it a day"

"Elize…"

"Seriously, let me have some time to think"

"Okay…I'll see you soon"

He turned around and started in the direction of the exit. She watched him and every second pained her; but she needed to be strong. After she knew that he was gone, she made her way back into the shop. "Elize…" Kisuke said from his bedroom.

"Hi dad"

"Did everything go okay today?"

"I'm close. I manifested my zanpakuto today"

"That's very good"

"Will Yoruichi be back tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry hunnie, she's won't be back until the weekend"

"It's okay, no big deal"

She opened her bedroom door and stopped. "Goodnight dad" she said and closed the door. Kisuke couldn't even reply before the door was in his face. He blamed himself for her lack of openness. When her mother died, he wasn't exactly the best listener to a little girl.

Elize changed her clothes after washing her face. She sat down on the edge of her bed in a pair of gray shorts and a pink tank top. Her eyes glanced at all the framed photos on her dresser. She missed the simpler days in the Soul Society.

Kensei didn't feel like going back to the warehouse yet, so he sat on the rooftop of a neighboring house to Kisuke's shop. He stared up at the starry sky and thought back on the previous night when he walked with Shinji and Lisa back to the warehouse. He spent most of it walking in silence.

They were trying to figure out a way to fix the problem they had created between them and Elize. Before he was even ten feet away from the shop, guilt had set in. He never meant to hurt her; but that was exactly what he did. After Shinji told him to talk to her, he was hesitant to even step foot back in her presence. He was afraid she'd shut him out completely; although, she did somewhat.

He shook his head, scattering the negative thoughts and proceeded to think about something more positive. Remembering the past was better than thinking about the present. Before another thought crossed his mind, he sensed Elize's warm presence. He looked over at the roof of the shop and she stood there. The wind whipped through her long onyx hair.

Elize sat down, ignoring that she could feel Kensei nearby. She felt cooped up and needed some air. _**"Why am I thinking about him?"**_ She thought brushing her hair behind her ears. There was one memory between them that stuck out the most and it was the day their friendship flourished, even borderline romantically. He may have said that their relationship cross the friendship line once; but in her mind it had on more than one occasion.

_**Flashback**_

_ Elize was overlooking the new recruits training session, when a messenger called her to the Captain's office. She left the fourth seat in charge and quickly got to the office in a timely manner. Shinji looked up from his desk and gave her a devilish grin._

"_Elize" he said softly._

"_You wanted to see me, Captain?"_

"_Yes, please come in"_

_ She hesitantly walked into the room. He moved a large stack of papers out of the way so he could see her better. "So it's been brought to my attention that you and Lieutenant Lisa Yadomaru attended a party with Captain Kensei Muguruma" he started. Elize was starting to become even more worried._

"_Yes, sir"_

"_Calm down, you're not in trouble. I'm just trying to figure out this request I got"_

_ She slightly relaxed at his comment. "Captain Muguruma had requested your help" Shinji said again. He watched her reaction, which was full of surprise. "I don't understand. Why request a third seat when he has a lieutenant of his own" she asked._

"_Lieutenant Kuna isn't known for her helpfulness. He's probably backed up badly. I honestly don't know why he requested you; but I granted his request. You leave immediately"_

"_But sir, what about the new recruits?"_

"_Don't worry it'll be taken care of"_

_ She was at a loss for words and just simply agreed to her Captain's orders. The walk to Squad Nine was a long one since Lisa stopped her along the way. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked. Elize didn't feel like talking. She was already too nervous and confused. "Kensei requested my help and Captain Hirako granted it" she replied._

"_Wow!"_

"_Wow, what?"_

"_You get to work with the guy you've been crushing on for weeks"_

"_I'm not crushing on him"_

"_Whatever you say. I got to get back to work, good luck"_

"_Thank, I guess"_

_ Elize was lost and didn't know where the Captain's office was, so she decided to sense his spiritual pressure. She picked up on it almost instantly. She quickly flash-stepped in the direction it was coming from. He was at the training ground and she smiled watching him. The way his bangs fell into his golden brown eyes and the way he moved were mesmerizing to her._

_ She was in such a trance that she forgot that she was at the edge of the cliff. Her feet slipped down and she tumbled down the side. Before she landed face first in the dirt, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her back up._

"_Are you alright?" his voice asked._

_ She looked up and saw Kensei holding her against him. "I'm fine, thank you" she replied. He let go of her and she stabilized herself; but a blush still burned her cheeks._

"_So what brings you here?" he asked._

"_You requested my help"_

"_Oh right"_

"_What do you need help with?"_

_ Kensei sheathed his zanpakuto and issued her to follow him, she walked behind steadily keeping up with his fast pace. "It was kind of a lie. I just wanted to talk to you" he answered. The blush on her cheeks became redder and he noticed. He led her to a hill that overlooked the Rukon District._

_ The sound of birds chirping and a small stream babbling was soothing to her. She instantly walked ahead of him and sat down on the soft green grass. "I never knew this place was here" she said softly. He smiled watching how happy she was._

"_You know that you don't have to lie to my Captain to talk to me. We are friends Kensei"_

"_I know; but I didn't want him to get the wrong idea"_

"_What idea could he possible think of besides that maybe you like me romantically or something, which is absurd because I'm just a third seat"_

_ Kensei sat down next to her outstretching his legs out in front of him. "That never mattered to me. Even if I did like you romantically, your rank would never matter to me" he replied. She thought maybe he was talking in code and he really did like her in that way. Her head drifted onto his shoulder and rested there. He never moved her and her heart swelled with the idea of him liking her._

_**End of Flashback**_

Elize let out a heavy sigh after thinking about the memory. She turned her head to see if Kensei was still nearby; but he wasn't on the roof that he had been on. She turned her head all around looking on the other rooftops; but he wasn't on any of them.

"Looking for someone?" his voice asked behind her.

"No" she replied obviously lying.

He chuckled and sat down next to her just like he did all those years ago. "What were you thinking about?" he asked. He hoped that she wasn't too far gone to bring back. She looked up at him. "The day you lied to Shinji just to hang out with me" she answered honestly and it kind of shocked him a little.

"I still don't think he knows I did that" he said with a laugh.

"You had feelings for me even then, didn't you" she asked.

"You caught onto that, I see"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"How could I? It was forbidden for a Captain to have a relationship with someone from a different squad"

Her head was starting to throb and she knew that she was letting her emotions come out again. Kensei was getting under her skin in more ways than one. "Will you help me train tomorrow? Yoruichi is still in the Soul Society?" she asked distracting herself from talking about his feelings for her; otherwise, she would probably would have admitted exactly how she felt about him in that moment.

"Sure" he replied.

"Thank you"

Elize stood up and turned away from him. He was beyond tempting to kiss and she was fighting hard against her desires to do so. "Elize…" he called standing up.

"Kensei….don't….I'll see you tomorrow"

She jumped off the roof and entered her bedroom window. Kensei was left on the roof with his own torturing thoughts about her. He was determined to bring her back to who she really way and he wasn't going to give up on her.


	20. Chapter 20

**XxXx Almost to 30 reviews and I'm absolutely thrilled…let's see if we can get to 35 soon. Also if you guys want to see something happen with any of the characters don't hesitate to ask. There are a lot of emotions that are going to be entwined in the next couple chapters and I hope everyone enjoys the chapters. Here is Chapter 20 enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 20

_Sweat dripped off her chin as she held her ground against Sosuke Aizen's attacks. His viciousness was calculated and well known. She swung with her wrist, bringing Inazuma down swiftly. Aizen brought his sword to clash against hers. "Why fight against me Elize, after all we've been through together?" he taunted._

"_You used me. You never cared about me" she shouted._

_ Her hand touched her forehead and pulled her hollow mask over her face. She screamed in rage and recklessly charged at him. "ELIZE!" Shinji yelled pleading for her to remain calm. Hiyori watched as she made no attempt to help her. Elize switched hands with her dormant zanpakuto and raised her knee up to catch him under the jaw. His image shimmered and she realized he was just an illusion._

_ Her eyes franticly searched for the real him; but when she finally found him it was too late. His sword was driven through the chest of Kensei. Mashiro's eyes widened in horror and she screamed his name. Elize flash-stepped to catch him as he was falling. Blood poured from the wound and soaked her shirt._

"_No, Kensei, stay with me" she called._

"_Elize…" he replied._

_ His eyes were partially opened as he coughed and blood spilled out from his mouth. She brushed the red liquid away from his lips with her thumb. "Kensei, I'm sorry. I was stupid and reckless" she cried, tears pouring from her eyes. She felt his hand on hers and a weak smile appeared on his face._

"_I love you" he said as he eyes rolled in the back of his head._

"_Kensei…Kensei…KENSEI!" she called gradually getting louder each time._

_ Tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto his lifeless body. Rage filled her and she screamed in emotional agony. _"Elize, wake up" she heard; but her body refused to cooperate. She screamed again; thrashing her head to the side, back and forth.

"Elize, come on, wake up" Kisuke called gently shaking her shoulders.

"Kensei" she cried.

Kisuke didn't know what else to do, except slap her. The sound of his hand connecting with her cheek echoed throughout the room. Elize's eyes opened and she shot up instantly. She looked at her father with an extreme look of confusion upon her face. "Dad?" she said softly feeling the wetness on her pillow with her hand.

"You had a nightmare" he replied.

"God, I hope that really was a nightmare"

"I'm guessing it had something to do with Kensei"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I heard you scream his name"

Elize wiped her cheeks with her hand. Feeling the wetness on her hands, she realized that she had been crying in her sleep. Kisuke sat down on the edge of her bed and gently stroked her hair. "He died in my arms. Aizen killed him" she stated. He realized that she wasn't just upset about the dream; she was also upset that she loved two men at the same time.

"I'm sorry that I woke you. I'm alright now, you can go back to sleep"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm just going to take a hot bath"

"Alright then…"

He walked out of her room hesitantly and wished that Yoruichi was there to help him. Elize walked into the bathroom and turned the knobs for hot water. She poured in her favorite scented oil and walked out to get a towel. _**"I won't let you die, Kensei"**_ she thought. She was convinced the nightmare was a vision of the future or at least one that could very well happen.

Closing the door behind her, she began to strip off her clothes. The water felt amazing on her achy body. She let the water flow around her, cleansing every pore. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath, inhaling the soothing scent of the oil.

Shinji sat by the fireplace, watching the flames dance around each other. Kensei walked into the main room, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. He noticed the solemn look upon Shinji's face and there was only one reason for it.

"Shinji" he said.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She's struggling; but she's very close to bankai"  
"Have you made any progress?"

"She's still pretty closed off. I honestly don't think I'm going to be able to reach her"

Shinji stood up and walked closer to Kensei. "Try harder" he said sternly. Kensei grabbed his arm before he could walk away. "Don't you think you should be the one to be doing this? You were the one who was engaged to her" he asked. All Shinji did was shake his head. "No; because I broke her heart by walking away the other night. I don't care what it takes; just bring her back to who she was. She'll get killed if she's like she is now"

Kensei watched Shinji walk up the stairs to his bedroom. "Why does he trust me so much?" he asked himself. He sat down on the couch watching the fire burn, thinking about Elize. She was being extremely stubborn and it was becoming annoying to him.

The sun rose over the horizon and Elize dressed in a pair of black leggings and a red scoop neck tank top. She dug into her closet for her black boots and quickly zipped them up. Her fingers clasped the handle of her brush and she started to unravel her tangled hair. Her body started to tingle when she sensed Kensei's spiritual pressure approaching.

Kensei walked into the shop only to be stopped by Kisuke. He raised his pierced eyebrow at him. "Kisuke, is something wrong?" Kensei asked obviously worried about Elize.

"Be extra careful around her today. She had a nightmare last night and I fear it's going to affect her training today"

"Nightmare about what exactly?"

"You"

Kensei took in the information and hoped that she would be focused; but knowing her, she'd dwell on it and take it to the extreme. Elize walked out of her room and saw Kensei next to her father. She hoped that he didn't tell him about her nightmare; but judging by the look on his face, he already did.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah" he replied.

Kensei followed her into the training ground. He wanted to ask her about the nightmare; but he didn't want to ruin her focus. "Kensei" she said turning to face him. "What?" he asked cracking his neck. Her hand gripped the hilt of her zanpakuto tighter and tighter until a drop of blood dripped from the curve in her hand.

"Elize…" he said the concern on his voice.

"Once I achieve bankai, I want you to train to get stronger"

"I don't plan on slacking"

"Please promise that you'll get stronger"

"Elize, what is this all about?"

She said nothing else and walked away from him. Her eyes closed and she manifested Inazuma. Kensei watched her closely, thinking about what she had just asked.

Shinji's zanpakuto clashed against Hiyori's over and over. His eyes quivered with seething emotions. Hiyori sensed his turmoil and felt pity for him. She never liked to admit that she still cared about him, even after he rejected her advances for Elize. "Come on Shinji, focus. Stop worrying about her. Kensei will take care of her. She's in capable hands" she stated attacking him again.

"We need her and you know it"

"I'm aware of that; but you're the one who sent Kensei out to get her back"

"I didn't think it would take this long"

"It's only been a day, Shinji. Would it help if I said she could come back here?"

"No, she doesn't consider herself a vizard anymore"

Hiyori stopped dead in mid-slash. Shinji watched her reaction and it almost seemed like she was feeling guilt. "Why would she say that?" she asked. He sat down on the ground with the tip of his zanpakuto sticking in the ground.

"Probably because she feels like an outcast"

"No thank to me right?"

"You hated her from day one; she knew that; so yes, a lot had to do with you"

Inazuma continued to battle against her master. Elize twisted her body in the air, appearing behind the spirit. The blonde woman's eyes widened as Elize made contact with her arm. Kensei smiled with approval. Inazuma landed back down on the ground with a satisfied smiled.

"Congratulations master, you've earned my abilities fully" she said softly.

"I don't feel any different"

"Silly girl, you have to call out 'bankai'"

Elize felt stupid in that moment. Inazuma vanished and she felt the power bubble inside. She allowed her body to move upon instinct. Her arms were held outstretched and then she swiftly pulled them to cross in front of her. "Bankai" she called. Five lightning bolts crashed down around her and enclosed her in a black dome with sparks of electricity radiating off the darkness.

Kensei watched intently and deep down he was proud of her. She had overcome the last hurdle to becoming a true vizard. The black dome shattered and she stood in her new form. White streaked her hair and her eyes radiated silver. Her two swords glowed. The one in her left hand sparked with electricity with an ethereal glow of silver and the one in her right hand swirled with wind along with a glow of gold. Tribal markings surrounded her arms and they seemed to have a life of their own.

"Kaminari no ikari sonzai" she announced.

Kensei took a step closer to her and she smiled at him, obviously proud of herself of her accomplishment. "That's quite a bankai you've got there" he commented. The markings on her arms begun to fade away and she reverted to her previous state.

"I guess I need to work on extending the time I'm able to hold this form" she replied.

He chuckled a little. She looked at him with a smile. "You should be proud that you accomplished bankai in three days. It takes most soul reapers years to achieve it". He was right in most cases a soul reaper takes years to prefect the technique. "Elize" called Kisuke. They both turned to see her father making his way to them.

"Dad, what's up?" she asked.

"You've achieved bankai, I see" he replied.

"Yes, I have"

"Very good, now could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Both of you go back up to the shop and allow me time to train a little"

"Are you participating in the war as well?"

"Of course I am"

Elize smiled and tugged on Kensei's arm to get him to follow her. She was thrilled to know her father would be taking part in the upcoming battle. Once back in the shop, Kensei stopped walking. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"What was your nightmare about?" he asked.

She froze. It confirmed that her father had in face told him that she had a nightmare about him. _**"How am I going to explain this without expressing my feelings?"**_ she thought. He reached for her hand, but she stepped away from him.

"When are you going to stop fighting me?"

"Probably never because forty-eight hours ago both you and Shinji wanted to desert me"

"Neither one of us meant it. He still loves you"

"Why did you come back instead of him, if he loves me so much?"

"I came back because I wanted to; but he felt that he wouldn't be able to get through to you"  
"He thought you could?"

"Yes"

She laughed outright. "Seriously, he has horrible logic" she replied still laughing. Kensei didn't expect that reaction from her and it made him think that she might very well be too far gone to bring back; but he knew that he still needed to try.

"It's not horrible logic when he's right"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm getting through to you whether you want to admit it or not"

He thought that maybe reversing the words to positive would break her out of her shell. It was kind of his last ditch effort and he hoped it would work. She walked passed him into the kitchen. Her hand grabbed the refrigerator door; but before she could pull it open, Kensei's hand touched hers. "Let's forget about all of this and just enjoy what you've accomplished today" he said with a soft smile.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, tell you what; what do you want to eat and I'll cook it"

Her eyes widened. He never offered to cook unless it was his turn to do so. The change in his attitude was melting the ice around her heart. "Shio Ramen, chicken with vegetables" she replied and felt his hand leave hers.

"Oh come on, that's so easy" he stated.

"Yeah; but I always loved when you made it"

A slight blush of pink touched his cheeks. "Okay, then I'll make it for you" he replied walking towards the cabinets. Elize opened the freezer and grabbed a package of chicken wings and breasts. She ran them under hot water to thaw out as she gathered vegetables from the refrigerator. Kensei pulled out the noodles from the top shelf and sat them on the counter.

**XxXx Nothing better than reverse phycology lol. I believe Kensei plays the part well in that environment. Interaction between Shinji and Elize in the next chapter so have a look out for it. XxXx**


	21. Chapter 21

**XxXx Call me paranoid; but I feel this story has become slightly boring to some of you. I really hope that is not the case. As I said last chapter there is some Elize/Shinji interaction; but mostly it is still Kensei/Elize. At 30 reviews I'm so thrilled, let's see if we can get to 40 . Here is the new chapter, enjoy and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 21

"Elize" Kensei said as he found a cutting knife.

"Yeah"

"Can you find me salt, basil, ginger, and garlic?"

"Sure"

Kensei put a pot full of water on the stove to boil. He began to chop the vegetables finely and then placed them into a bowl when cut. Elize fumbled in the upper cabinet of spices. She wasn't nearly tall enough to reach them. She jumped up and snatched the salt. Kensei stated to laugh upon seeing her difficulties.

He reached up and grabbed the last three spices her needed. She glared at him. "Don't look at me like that" he stated and turned back in the direction of the counter.

Shinji walked up the metal stairs into the main room. Mashiro was doing dishes as Love and Rose were arguing over the latest comic. Hiyori eyed him as he walked in. She noticed him scanning the room, looking to see if everyone was there; but Kensei still wasn't back from Kisuke's shop.

"I'm going for a walk" he stated and walked out of the warehouse.

He could sense Elize's spiritual pressure a mile away rom the shop. It seemed to wrap around him, caressing him. The moment he stepped onto the porch, Elize sensed him. Her head jerked and Kensei knew what was wrong, he could sense him to. She looked at him as if asking for permission to go outside. He simply nodded and continued his cooking.

Elize opened the door and met Shinji's eyes for the first time in two days. "What are you doing here?" she asked calmly; but the hurt was still evident in her voice.

"Just wanted to see how you were" he replied.

"That is a lie, you wanted to see if Kensei got through to me"

He took a step back "Partially yes; but I did want to see how you were" he replied honestly. She shrugged, not really in the mood to talk to him one on one. Kensei walked out onto the porch with a harsh stare directed at Shinji.

"Can I have a word with you?" Shinji asked.

"I guess" he replied.

Kensei stepped down off the porch and moved far enough away that Elize would not overhear the conversation. Shinji stopped and looked at Kensei dead in the eye. "What are you doing here?" Kensei asked. "What exactly happened today? She seems different" he asked.

"She's achieved bankai; but really, she's still closed off"

"Hiyori gave the okay for her to come back"

"She won't come back, not after what we did to her"

Shinji walked passed him, ignoring what he said. Elize eyed him suspiciously. "Hiyori says it's okay to come back home" Shinji told her. "That isn't home to me anymore. Home is with my father" she replied the disappointment evident on his face.

"If you change your mind, the door is open"

"Yeah, okay"

"Elize…"

"What?"

"We all need you. You belong with us. No matter what you think, you are a vizard and always will be one"

"Is this your way of apologizing for walking away not long after I told you that I loved you"

Shinji was taken aback by her harsh words; but he really couldn't blame her. "That had nothing to do with why I did what I did. I love you, always will; but you are beyond confused about your feelings" he said turning the conversation in a different direction.

Kensei walked passed both of them, going back inside the shop to check on the food he was cooking. Elize's eyes followed him, wondering why he didn't say anything. "I couldn't have made my feelings for you anymore clearer" she replied locking with his gaze.

"You lied"

"How the hell did I lie?"

"You said that you didn't feel for Kensei more than a friend"

"I don't"

"Just stop lying about it. You do feel for him more than a friend and until you figure out what you want, I can't be with you"

Elize never thought the hurt she felt after he walked away could be any more painful; but she was wrong. "I wish you would have told me this before everything happened the other night in my bedroom" she replied fighting hard against the tears that wanted to trickle down. Shinji instantly felt guilty for being so harsh with her; but he felt that she needed to know that she wasn't the only one hurting.

She didn't bother to say goodbye, she turned back into the shop. The smell of food waved under her nose and her stomach grumbled with hunger. Kensei looked up from the stove and looked at the woman who was obviously emotionally hurt. _**"Way to go Shinji. Thanks for undoing everything I did"**_ he thought.

"It smells amazing" she commented.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She looked at him; her eyes were glassy with tears. Her body trembled and he walked away from the stove. Her body felt cold as he touched her arm. He wrapped her arms around her securely. She seemed to fit so well against him. Kensei's muscular chest was rock hard against the side of her head. "I was stupid to think I could have everything I wanted in life" she said pulling out of his embrace.

"You're not stupid"

"I feel like a total slut right now"

She sat down around the small table in the living room. "You're not a slut either" he replied pouring two bowls of the Ramen. He sat one in front of her and handed her a pair of chopsticks. She started to eat and it tasted heavenly on her tongue. Elize always loved when he'd cook at the warehouse, because she knew that she'd get an awesome meal.

"This is awesome, Kensei" she complimented.

"Thanks"

Another mouthful entered her mouth and she quickly ate it. Kensei watched, not speaking a word. He was trying to figure out something to talk about that didn't involve Shinji. Before long, her bowl was empty and she was starting to clean up the kitchen leaving him to eat alone.

"Thank you for dinner" she said as he walked into the kitchen with his empty bowl.

"You're welcome" he replied helping her put the leftovers away.

Finding a plastic container, she poured the leftover Ramen into it, sealing the lid tightly. "Should I go back to the warehouse?" she asked. The question surprised him and he didn't know how to answer it. "That's up to you. Whatever you want to do that makes you happy is probably the best way" he replied.

"I don't feel like I belong there, I never did"

"I know and there is nothing wrong with living her, if it makes you happy"

Elize finished putting the containers in the refrigerator and she slipped by Kensei to start the dishes. The water started to steam and she knew it was plenty hot enough. He didn't know what else to say to her and thought that maybe he'd done enough for one day.

"I think I should probably go" he said.

"I'm sorry that this dinner didn't go the way you hoped"

"What are you talking about? I made what you wanted, that's all I wanted"

"I'm dumb; but I'm not that dumb. I know you were hoping to get something out of this"

He never denied the accusation; but he didn't confirm it either. "Do you want me to come back tomorrow?" he asked. She wiped her hands with a towel to dry them off. "Just assume to come here every day unless I tell you otherwise. You need to get stronger to" she replied. When she mentioned that she wanted him to get stronger, he remembered that she had a nightmare about him the previous night.

"Are you going to tell me why you want me to get stronger so bad?"

"I say something in a dream that I definitely don't want to happen"

"About me?"

"Yes"

Kensei started to step towards her. She never moved from her spot in front of the sink. "What was the dream about?" he asked; but the moment he did she walked passed him. Elize stopped in front of her bedroom. "Just tell me! Why is this bothering you so much? It was just a bad dream" he asked again.

She never turned her head. Her eyes stared at the photo of her, Kensei and Lisa. "You died in my arms, and it was my fault" she replied softly and he barely heard her. He turned her around gently. "Hey, I'm not going to die" his words swirled around her, causing her heart to swell. She took a step back into her room. She needed some air.

"I'm going to sit on the roof, if you want to join me?" she offered.

"Sure, I'll come up with you"

She hoisted the window up and used the seal to catapult herself onto the roof. The moon was full and the light that emitted from it was serene and elegant. The stars sparkled against the clear dark sky. She spotted her American Zodiac Sign, Pisces, right off the bat. Her ears perked when she heard Kensei's boots on the shingles.

"I can't believe my dad is still training" she said breaking the momentary silence.

"It's only been four hours. We were in there for eight today"

"It's just weird. I never knew he trained. I always thought he was just gifted with talent and strength"

He laughed at her childish response. "I know that was pretty childish of me to say" she replied to his laugh. "Just a little" he said holding his thumb and forefinger only an inch apart. She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. He could see the reflection of the stars in her eyes and her beauty intensified. The temptation to kiss her was overwhelming at that point.

"Shinji was right" she said suddenly.

"About what?"

"I am completely torn"

He felt confused. _**"She's not making sense"**_ he thought. Elize never moved her head to look at him. Her eyes continued to stare up at the night sky. Her fingers clenched the sides of her legs and dug her nails into her own skin.

"I was stupid to think that I didn't love you"

His heart started to race with her confession. He had waited so long to hear her say that. "The truth is I fell in love with you first. I watched you before you even knew who I was and then Aizen convinced me to join Squad five. I met Shinji and it all changed. Part of me thinks Aizen had something to do with my change of heart; but another part of me thinks it's because you never told me how you felt about me. We stayed close friends even after I fell in love with Shinji and I was the happiest; but now I feel so torn" she confessed. He watched her silently cry tears of bittersweet sorrow.

"Elize, maybe it's best if I give you space" he stated.

"It wouldn't matter; my mind would still drift to you and Shinji, reliving memories and emotions from the past and present"

Kensei had absolutely no idea what to do next. She had confessed that she loved him and Shinji; but he didn't understand why she was all of a sudden so open to talk about her feelings, when all she's done for the past two days was push everyone away. Elize stood up and turned to face him. Her eyes were red and puffy. Black streaks caked her cheeks as her make-up ran.

"I'll see you tomorrow, you should get some rest" he said.

"Alright" she replied.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead; then vanished from the rooftop. She slipped back through her bedroom window and flung herself onto her bed. She was afraid to fall asleep, fearing that she'd see Kensei die all over again; but her exhaustion was too much for her to fight and her eyes closed heavily.

Kensei rushed back to the warehouse, his heart beating rapidly against his chest. Shinji looked up from the book he was reading. "What happened?" he asked. Kensei didn't know where to start; but he felt that Shinji needed to know.

"Your speculations were correct"

"She loves you as well, doesn't she?"

"Yes"

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm not the kind of guy that takes advantage of a situation; but I feel that she needs to spend time with both of us"

"What do you suggest?"

"You're coming with me tomorrow to help her train"

**XxXx Thank you for continuing to read this story. If you feel that this getting too boring please don't hesitate to tell me and suggest what I can do better. I am going to warn all Shinji fans though that there will be a brief period of Kensei/Elize togetherness coming up soon; but this story is far from over. XxXx**


	22. Chapter 22

**XxXx Wow 32 reviews I absolutely ecstatic, thank you so much for the awesome reviews. Lots of action ahead in this new chapter, so I hope everyone enjoys it and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 22

The next day, Elize had just finished getting dressed when she felt Yoruichi's warm comforting spiritual pressure. She quickly pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and rushed out of her room. The glimpse of violet hair made her smile.

"Elize" Yoruichi said with a smile.

She couldn't help herself; she flung herself into her arms and held on tightly. Yoruichi smiled at the loving childish gesture. "I see you missed me" she said softly pulling Elize off of her. "You have no idea" she replied.

Kisuke leaned against the wall watching the interaction. He loved seeing his daughter and wife interact with each other. "Are you going to be training me today?" Elize asked hopeful that she'd say 'yes'. Yoruichi smiled. "I'll be overlooking your training; but I believe Kensei and Shinji will be doing the hands on today"

"You're kidding?" she said with a blank stare.

"No, they are almost here"

"I did not sign up for both of them to be here today"

Elize felt like a weight just crashed down onto her chest. She didn't want to face Shinji after what she had confessed to Kensei the previous night; but it was too late to try and get out it, they were already on the front porch.

Tessai opened the door for them and they stood before Elize. Shinji's eyes held warmth and longing and it made her heart start to beat rapidly. Kensei had a grin upon his face that made her want to smack it off. She knew that it was his idea to bring Shinji along to help.

"Hello Elize" Kensei said.

"Don't 'hi' me, this was your idea wasn't it?" she snapped.

He shrugged, trying to act innocent; but she knew better than to believe that. Yoruichi could feel the tension between the three of them and it was thick, heavy, and almost suffocating. "Well, let's get on with the training. I'm interested in seeing your bankai" she said pushing the three of them towards the underground training ground. Elize rolled her eyes. _**"Why me?"**_ she asked herself.

Shinji watched her closely. Her body moved rigidly. _**"She's uptight"**_ he thought with a devilish grin. All the thoughts of the things he could do to relax her went straight to his manhood. _**"Maybe this won't be such a bad idea after all"**_ he thought again.

Yoruichi leapt onto a cliff to overlook everything. "Alright Elize, let's see how you fair against two opponents" she said. Elize's eyes widened. She didn't expect to have to fight both of them at the same time. "Don't think Aizen is going to fight fair, he wants to kill us all" she finished.

"She's right" Shinji said.

Elize let out a sigh of frustration. She was confident in her abilities; but not against both of them. Shinji alone could kill her if he wasn't careful and Kensei was just as deadly. She'd have to be on guard at all times. Her hand held the hilt of her zanpakuto tightly and pulled it free from its sheath.

"Surge, Inazuma no sonzai"

Her shikai formed and she postured herself in defense stature. Shinji attacked first and the metal of his zanpakuto clashed against hers. She only used one of her swords to fend him off just as Kensei closed in from her left. Her eyes narrowed, struggling to hold both of them back. "Shogeki-tekina raito" she called.

Several lightning bolts surged from both of her swords. Shinji flipped his body away. Elize used that moment to kick Kensei in the gut and twist her body behind Shinji. Her last bolt of lightning grazed his arm, barely doing any damage. "Ouch, princess that stung" he taunted.

Kensei appeared next to her and placed an accurate kick to her stomach. She slid back several feel before regaining control of her body. Yoruichi smiled. _**"She's learning fast; faster than Kisuke did"**_ she thought.

"You'll have to do better than that" Kensei said.

"I'm just warming up, smartass" she countered.

He laughed at her insult. He had witness a brief second of her former self and he loved it. Shinji smirked seeing the same thing Kensei did. "How is your control of your inner hollow?" Shinji asked. Elize's smile turned wicked. Her hand swiped over her face and her hollow mask formed.

She flash-stepped away from her spot and in a blink of an eye, her zanpakuto clashed against his. A red glow formed in her hand and she pointed it point blank at Shinji's face. Her eyes shifted as she saw Kensei trying to sneak up on her. She accurately moved her hand and the cero was released at him instead.

Kensei shifted his body away from the blast with precision. Shinji took the opportunity to strike. The tip of his blade connected with her upper thigh as she tried to get out of the way. "Damnit" she cursed feeling the stinging pain of the cut. The warmth of her blood was starting to soak through the material of her pants.

Shinji saw the wound on her leg and instantly felt guilty. She removed her mask and held her ground, ignoring the pain. "Elize…I'm sorry…" he started to say; but she held up a hand to stop him from speaking further.

"Do not apologize for giving me this scratch. I'm a big girl and can hand a lot more pain than this"

Kensei took a step closer to her. The blood was oozing pretty rapidly through the open flesh. "That is not a scratch, Elize" he said sounding concerned. She simply rolled her eyes at their concern. "Let's kick this up a notch" she replied crossed her zanpakuto across her chest.

"Bankai"

Five lightning bolts crashed down onto the ground, bringing a black dome around her. Shinji and Yoruichi watched curiously. Kensei just smiled. He loved how her attitude changed. She was so close to being who she really was. The black dome shattered and Elize stood before admiring eyes.

Shinji studied her appearance. White streaked her onyx hair and silver shimmered in her blue eyes. He barely noticed the difference in her zanpakuto; because he was to mesmerized by her beauty.

Yoruichi noticed everything. In her left hand held a sword that glowed ethereal silver with sparks of electricity coursing through the blade; and in her right hand held a sword that glowed gold with swirling wind surrounding the blade. Tribal markings etched her skin and held a life of their own.

"Interesting" Shinji stated.

"She can't hold this form for long" Kensei replied.

Elize knew he was right, so she quickly rushed at them. Using her wrists, she crossed her blades together and a wave of wind entwined with lightning surged from the crossed swords. The energy was massive and Shinji was impressed by her new strength. Kensei hollowfied and kicked it away.

The tribal marking were beginning to fade and her time was running out. Yoruichi was very impressed by what she was seeing. "Kisuke, you have no idea how much she's like you" she said sensing him behind her.

"Oh there are plenty of differences" he replied.

"Her fighting style in very similar to yours except when she throws in the stuff she learned from the other vizards"

Elize rarely used kido; but she decided to try it against them as a diversion to use her last attack. Kensei came to her left and Shinji came to her right, playing right into her plan. She held out both of her arms, palms flat letting her blades hover beside her. "Hado 73, Soren Sokatsui". Two blue waves of energy flowed out of her hands. Kensei easily knocked the energy away with his hand and Shinji just simply flipped his body out of the way.

"Kongo kuki no waiban" she called.

Both of her swords merged into one and her body spun in a complete circle. A wyvern made of lightning and wind screeched and rapidly closed in on Shinji. Elize twisted her wrist and spilt her swords apart. It created a second wyvern going in Kensei's direction.

She felt her body draining of spiritual energy. Her pants were soaked around her wound with blood. Before either wyvern could connect with Shinji and Kensei, her tribal markings faded and her body reverted back to her previous form taking the wyverns along with it.

"What happened?" Shinji asked.

"You got lucky that's what happened" she replied.

Yoruichi jumped down from the ledge. "I'd say that is enough for today. Elize, let's get that wound healed" she said. Elize looked down to the ground in shame_**. "She stopped the training early, because I got hurt; how pathetic"**_ she thought. Kensei allowed her to lean on him for support and Shinji wrapped an arm around her waist to support her other side.

Once they got into the shop, Elize limped to her room to change into shorts. The wound looked worse than she originally thought. Yoruichi washed the wound carefully and Tessai began the healing process. The warm tingles of new skin growth made her body twitch. Shinji still held the guilty look upon his face as he did when he first gave her the cut.

"Don't look like that. I'm fine Shinji" Elize said softly.

"I should have held back"

"If you hold back, how am I going to learn?"

Kensei approached cautiously. "Hey, I got to go. It's my turn to make dinner" he said hating the face that he had to leave her; but he knew she wouldn't be alone and it was somewhat of a relief. Her eyes caught his. "Lucky them" she replied with a smile. He reached to brush her cheek with his thumb.

"I'll see you tomorrow" he said.

"Actually, I'm not training tomorrow; my dad is"

"Oh…well the next day then"

He turned away from her and left the shop. Shinji noticed the longing look in her eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that she loved Kensei. "Elize" he said getting her attention. She turned her head back in his direction.

"Do you hate me?" he asked.

"No, I don't hate you. I love you"

"But you love Kensei too"

"Yes"

"I don't like not being close with you. If you give Kensei a chance, I want to be the close friend you go to for everything"

She studied his expression and found no lie in his words. "You're seriously aren't you?" she asked. He nodded and gave her a devilish grin. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she leapt up and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly.

**XxXx Here is her bankai's attack meaning… **

**Kongo kuki no waiban- Wyvern of blended air**

**If you don't know what a wyvern is, it's a legendary creature with a dragon's head, reptile body, and two legs (sometime none at all) and a barbed tail. XxXx**


	23. Chapter 23

**XxXx This chapter is a little shorter than all my other one; but it's still pretty long. I'd like to address two of my reviewer's questions. **_**First one: Leyshla Gisel**_**, No that comment did not mean Elize chose Kensei. I didn't want this story to be too predictable. **_**Second One: Guest**_**, No she will not be with both of them, she will eventually pick one. Now this chapter will be her choice so I hope all will enjoy whether you're a Shinji voter or a Kensei voter. Please Review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach nor will I ever; but I do in fact own Elize Tomoya (Urhara).**

Chapter 23

Shinji held onto her tightly, wishing he could kiss her; but she was too happy to ruin the moment. His zanpakuto had told him to give her up for the time being. Sakanade assured him that she was confident that Elize would come back to him in time, realizing that she wasn't really in love with Kensei. He reluctantly pulled away from her and she hissed in pain.

"Are you alight?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine. It's starting to feel better"

She got up from her bed and stood up, wobbling at first; but eventually she stabilized herself. Her smile lit up and he found himself starring at her. "Shinji" she said snapping him out of his trance. His eyes locked with hers. "Yeah" he replied.

"Would you really want me to come back to the warehouse?" she asked.

"Of course, we all would" he replied.

"I'll think about it, okay"

"Sure"

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later, I'm sure dinner will be done soon and I'm starving" he said with a grin. She laughed "You're always hungry" she replied. He gently touched her shoulder and walked out of her room. She lay back onto her bed. Her mind was racing and she had no idea what to do next.

"Elize" Yoruichi called walking into her room.

"I don't know what to do. I love them both. How the hell am I supposed to choose one?"

"Don't rush it whatever you do; but maybe you should give Kensei a chance"

"And if that doesn't work out?"

"Then you weren't meant to be with him and Shinji really was the one"

"But doesn't that make me a slut?"

"No, it's an opportunity to be absolutely certain. Trust me, I've been through this"

Elize looked at Yoruichi in surprise. "You…went through this?" she asked nervously. She didn't want to dig too personal; but the curiosity was killing her. Yoruichi could see the curiosity on her step-daughter's face. "While I knew that I loved your father, he was closed off for a long time after your mother died. I started to fancy the young Byakuya Kuchiki. He's the current head of the Kuchiki clan, Captain of Squad Six, and still very good looking"

"I heard that" Kisuke yelled from a different room.

Yoruichi grinned with amusement. Elize quietly laughed. "The point is, I had a slight relationship with Byakuya; but as it turns out I loved your father too much to give him up. Maybe this is what you need to truly know who you love" she stated. Elize thought about it a moment and realized who she really loved.

"You're right, thank you Yoruichi"

She leapt up and hugged her step-mother tightly. When they separated, Kisuke came into view. "Just do what makes you happy" he said wrapping a loving arm around Yoruichi's waist. He pulled his wife away from Elize's door.

Elize rushed to her closet and flipped through all of her clothes, taking twenty minutes to find the perfect outfit. Grabbing her clothes, she rushed into the bathroom for a shower. The hot water poured all over her body, stinging her still healing wound on her thigh.

Shinji walked into the warehouse to the smell of Ramen cooking. He smirked a little, thinking Elize was the culprit for that meal. Kensei turned to meet his gaze and there was happiness upon his face. _**"Did she choose him?"**_ he thought. Deep down he always knew she would; but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Shinji asked.

"Congratulations" Kensei replied.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"She chose you didn't she?"

"No"

Kensei returned to his cooking. Shinji could sense the uneasiness between hem. "We should probably talk about what will happen when she does choose" Shinji said, issuing the others to leave the room.

"Can we at least get our food before you kick us out?" Mashiro asked.

"Um…yeah" he replied forgetting about dinner.

After the others got their portion of the food, they shattered to the training ground. "You know she'll be devastated if one of us deserts her" Kensei said pouring his own bowl of the meal. Shinji knew that was a definite about her.

"I already told her tonight that if she chose you, I'd be the close friend" Shinji answered.

"I've been friends with her this long, why not the rest of eternity"

Both of them knew that no matter what they would always stay by her. Elize stood outside the barrier of the warehouse. She was dressed in a long white flowing skirt and a pale orange scoop neck tank top. Brown boots covered her legs up to her knees and her hair fell long and straight.

She held her hand up to touch the barrier to let Haichi knew she was there. Instantly, a small door opened for her to enter. It felt weird to be there after being gone for two weeks. When she walked into the building, two set of eyes glanced at her.

Shinji and Kensei couldn't believe that she was there. "Hey" she said softly feeling her hands shaking next to her. Before they could say anything, the rest of the group flooded into the room. Elize smiled at everyone, feeling welcome. Mashiro flung her arms around her childishly.

"Hello Mashiro" Elize said with a smile.

Hiyori hung back just glancing at her once before retreating to her bedroom. Elize let out a disappointed sigh; she had hoped Hiyori would have come around to liking her. Haichi pulled Mashiro off the suffocating woman and then gave her his own bear hug.

"Haichi…you're…killing me" she gasped for air.

"Opps, sorry" he replied.

Shinji let out a chuckle. He was thrilled to see this again. Love and Rose welcomed her with softer hugs. Lisa gave her a smile that made all the difference to her. "Kensei…can I talk to you?" she asked. He nodded and she followed him to his room. The door closed behind her and she turned to face him. Her hands shook uncontrollably and she forced them behind her back to hide it from him.

"Kensei, this isn't easy for me at all; but today I came to a realization"

"Is this about our relationship?" he asked.

"Yes"

He closed the distance between them and cupped her cheek with his hand. She reached with her own hand to cover his. "I'm always going to love you; but I…" she started but the tears were choking her words. He knew what she was going to say next and he was prepared to hear it. "I love him more" she finished.

"I know" was all he could reply.

"I don't want to lose you because of this. You have always been there for me and I can't imagine it any other way"

"It won't change, I promise. I'll be there for you always"

She held onto him tightly, realizing that things were never going to be the same between them. "Go one and tell him" he said smacking her backside gently. Surprised, she turned to look at him with a slight grin on her face.

Shinji was walking up the stairs as Elize was coming out of Kensei's room. Their eyes locked almost instantly. He could feel his heart thumping against his chest. She walked towards him and stopped inches away. "Can we talk?" she asked.

"Sure" he replied opening his door.

Elize stepped passed him and he closed the door quietly. She reached into the pocket of her skirt. Her fingers pulled out the engagement ring that was once on her finger. "I wanted to give this back to you" she said handing him the piece of jewelry.

"I see" he replied taking it into his hand.

"I made my decision"

"Obviously" he said holding the ring up between his thumb and forefinger.

She chuckled "You really are dense sometimes" she commented. He rose an eyebrow "What…" he replied slightly hurt by her words. Elize stepped closer to him and leaned closer to his lips. "You're dense, because you didn't get my meaning for giving that back to you" she whispered and settled back down on her feet.

"The only thing I can think of, is that you chose Kensei"

She shook her head "No stupid, I love you and I want only you" she replied with a beautiful smile and seemed to melt him.

**XxXx I know that I previously had said there would be some Kensei/Elize togetherness; but I'm sorry but I had to make the decision between the two sooner than I wanted to; but on a good note for all Kensei fans…I started to write a new story with Kensei/OC under a different penname(Pen Name is:KaitlynRose8) the first chapter of it should be posted sometime today so keep a look out for it. Let me know what you think of the chapter and don't hesitate to tell me what you'd like to see happen with any of the characters. XxXx**


	24. Chapter 24

**XxXx Warning: Sexual Content XxXx**

Chapter 24

Shinji couldn't believe what she had just said. She smiled at him, warming his body. In a split second, his lips crashed down onto hers. Her fingers gripped at his shirt, pulling him closer. His hands slid down her sides and pulled her up, her legs wrapped around his waist. Lips left hers and cascaded down the shallow of her neck. His tongue traced a line down to the dip between her breasts.

"Shinji…" she whispered in a lingering moan.

A smirk spread across his lips, as he carried her to his bed. He laid her down gently, hair sprawled around her. "You are the most beautiful woman" he said. She pulled at his tie and pressed his lips onto his, silencing him. Her hand worked on the belt of his pants, loosening it to un-tuck his shirt. Fingers worked delicately to unbutton each one. She slid his shirt off his shoulders and dragged his nails down his chest.

"Elize…" he groaned.

It wasn't long before their fevered passion took control. Her naked body felt heavenly beneath him as he slid into her slick warmth. Her legs slid up his side, urging him. His speed increased, listening to her satisfied moans. He pushed her legs back against her chest to get a deeper angle. The second he slammed into her, she almost screamed. The pleasure she felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

"I'm guessing you like that" he said is a lust filled voice and a cocky smile.

"Yeah" she said trying to hold back her screams.

The faster he went, the closer she was to reaching pure ecstasy. He loved everything about her and in that moment he spilled everything he had into her. She dragged her nails down his back, signaling that she too had reached her perfect moment. Shinji cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb across her skin. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine" she replied.

He rolled off her and propped himself onto his pillow. She turned to face him. "Shinji…." She said softly, hesitating to say how she felt. She was worried about her dream. The dream she saw Kensei die in. "What's wrong, Elize?" he asked.

"I don't want to ruin the moment"

"Is this about Kensei?"

"Kind of"

"Talk to me"

She let out a breath of air. "The other night I had a dream about the war. I let my emotions get the better of me and attacked Aizen recklessly. In the end Kensei paid for my mistake. He died in my arms" she answered. Shinji pulled her closer to him. She snuggled her head into his chest.

"It was just a dream"

"For some reason I feel like I'm not going to survive this war"

"Don't say things like that. I'd never let anything happen to you"

He pressed his lips onto hers again and again until he took away her fear for the moment. Her eyes slowly closed and darkness took over; but in the back of her mind Kensei's dream death was really bothering her. Shinji continued to stroke her hair until he felt she was in a deep enough sleep. He gently moved himself away from her.

Shinji got out of his bed and slipped into a pair of sweat pants and an old t-shirt. Quietly, he opened his bedroom door and slipped out without disturbing Elize. His bare feet padded across the cold concrete floor and down the metal stairs. Kensei was sitting in front of the fire with a bottle of sake in his hand.

"Kensei, what the hell are you doing?" Shinji asked.

"Does it really matter to you" he replied, his words slurring indicating his intoxication.

"Seriously, you're going to get drunk because Elize chose me?"

"Why not?"

"Because she still loves you dumbass; she's so worried that you're going to die"

He took another swig out of the bottle. "Dwelling on that dream I take it" he replied. Shinji snatched the bottle out of Kensei's hand. "Don't be a moron. Do you realize what would happen if you did die in this war?" he asked.

"I already told her once before that I wasn't going to"

"It would tear her to pieces if you died. She already lost her birth bother at the hands of Aizen; don't let her lose the closest friend she has"

Kensei stood up and took the bottle back from Shinji. "And just what the hell do you suggest?" he asked taking another drink from the bottle. "I want you to do what I asked you to do" Elize said walking down the stairs in the clothes she had worn there; but it was obvious that she wasn't wearing a bra, because both men could see the outlines of her harden nipples.

In his drunken state, it was more obvious that he was staring. He shook his head and took another drink. "I wanted you to promise me that you'd get stronger; because I didn't want what I saw in my dream to come true" she pleaded.

"And I already told you that I wasn't going to die. It was just a dream, Elize"

"You're right, you aren't going to die. None of you" she replied clenching her hands into fists at her sides.

Shinji and Kensei watched her closely. The entwining emotions were combining with her spiritual energy. "I'll be damned if I let Aizen take anyone else from me" she yelled and turned towards the exit. Shinji flash-stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "Elize, it's okay. He's just drunk. Once he sobers up, he'll be fine" he said.

"I broke his heart, Shinji. It'll never be okay. It will never be the same between us ever again, as much as I want to say that it will"

"Elize…"

"I lost my best friend"

Kensei looked on; listening to everything she had told Shinji. He didn't know how to respond to anything. All he could do was listen and drink from his bottle of sake. Shinji wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Visit me tomorrow please" she whispered. He nodded and kissed her lips.

Elize turned back towards the exit, walking around Shinji. "Visit me whenever you feel like it Kensei. I still think of you as my friend and always will, even if you don't think of me as a friend anymore" she said and walked out of the warehouse as the snow was beginning to fall.

Shinji turned to Kensei with a harsh glance in his direction. He had nothing to say to him and walked back up the stairs to his bedroom. His eyes drifted to the floor and all the scattered articles of clothing upon it. He reached down and picked up the engagement ring Elize had given back to him hours before hand. "I will put this back on your finger someday" he said to himself.

Kensei drank the last drop of sake from the bottle. He groaned and lay back on the couch with one arm hanging off the side. The alcohol was overwhelming his system and he passed out into an almost peaceful slumber. A single tear rolled down his cheek and dripped onto his other hand.

Elize stepped onto the front porch, cold and snow covered. Yoruichi opened the door. Concern was written on her face clearly. "Come inside before you get sick" she said pulling her into the warm shop. Yoruichi wrapped a blanket around the shivering vizard. "What happened?" she asked.

"I made my choice tonight"

"Shinji?"

"Yes and Kensei didn't take it as well as I first thought"

"He's just upset. He'll be fine"

Elize's eyes became glassy with tears. "I lost my best friend, Yoruichi. How am I supposed to deal with that?" she cried. Yoruichi embraced her rightly. "I promise everything will get better after this war is over" she said.

"You're right"

In her mind she thought it would get better. Aizen had taken everything front her and once he was dead, she could rebuild what she last; but only if everyone survived.

**XxXx Sorry for the long update; but I hope everyone enjoyed the new chapter. Please review! Also if you haven't checked out my new Kensei story it's called 'Siren's Lure' and it's under my other pen name (KaitlynRose8) XxXx**


	25. Chapter 25

**XxXx So close to 40 reviews, let's see if we can get there . This chapter is kind of another shorter one and the last chapter before the war starts…so we are starting to come to the end of the story soon. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 25

Elize woke the next morning to a damp pillow and blankets over her head. She groaned and rolled over onto her back. The white tiled ceiling stared back at her and all she could see was Shinji's face and Kensei's drunken state. _**"How did everything go so wrong?"**_ she thought and rolled back over, pulling the blankets closer around her.

She heard her door slid open quietly. "You can't stay in here all day" Yoruichi said. Elize pulled the covers off her head. "Why not? Dad's training today" she replied. Yoruichi sat down on the edge of her bed. She reached out and stroked her hair.

"I know you're upset about all of this; but you can't dwell on it. You have a lot to fight for already. Just because Kensei is being a big baby, doesn't mean your friendship with him is over"

"I'm fine. I'm just tired"

"If you say so"

She got up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Elize rolled onto her side facing the window. There were two birds sitting on the windowsill, singing. They walked around each other, teasing each other. They seemed like mates and it made her think about Shinji.

Kensei felt a gush of water splash him in the face. He bolted upright and looked for the culprit. He saw Mashiro standing there with her arms crossed. The anger was obvious on her face.

"What the hell, Mashiro?" he yelled.

"You are such a jerk, Kensei" she snapped.

"What?"

"How could you act like that to Elize?"

"Mind your own business"

His hand was throbbing and he just slumped back against the couch upright. Everything he did and said the previous night came rushing back to him. _**"I really am a dick"**_ he thought, regretting what he had done. Elize meant the world to him and now she believed that he didn't care about her anymore.

Mashiro stormed off in a huff. He rolled his eyes at her; but she was right. _**"What the hell was I thinking? I need to fix this"**_ he thought as he stood up from the couch.

Shinji stood in the shower rinsing the shampoo out of his hair. He was happy that Elize had chosen him; but deep down he knew that it wasn't going to be the same as it had been a hundred years ago, simply because Kensei couldn't just go back to being a close friend.

His hands turned the knobs off and he grabbed his towel, drying off. The closer the war was getting, the more he was beginning to panic. Elize was reckless and temperamental. Aizen would use her emotions against her the first chance he got.

Kensei quickly got dressed and took a couple painkillers to ease the throbbing in his head. Shinji walked out of the bathroom and faced him. "How are you feeling today?" he asked.

"Like shit; but I deserve it" he replied.

"Are you going to go see her?"

"Would you be pissed if I said yes?"

"No; because you need to fix this. My relationship with her is suffering because you were a prick last night"

"No need to remind me"

Kensei walked away and continued towards the exit of the warehouse. The ground was covered in a fairly thick layer of snow. He grabbed a jacket then exited the building. The air was cold; but he still decided to take his time getting to the shop, thinking about what he'd say to her.

Elize finally decided to get out of bed. She saw the snow on the ground through her window and it made her smile. It reminded her of two fond memories in the Soul Society; the night Shinji proposed to her and a midnight drunk snowball fight with Kensei.

She pulled out a black sweater with silver sparkles all over it and a light colored pair of jeans from her closet. It felt weird to not be training. Elize couldn't feel anyone's spiritual pressure in the shop, which meant Tessai took Jinta and Ururu out to get supplies while her father and step-mother were training together.

Elize was alone and wished someone would come visit her. The moment she thought that, Kensei's presence was at her front door. Immediately, she rushed towards the door and opened it. Kensei stood before her; obviously hung over, because his eyes were completely bloodshot.

"Hey" he said.

"Hi, you look awful"

"Thanks, I feel awful"

"Get in here and I'll make some coffee"

She stepped aside and he walked in. Elize closed the door and turned towards the kitchen. Gathering the coffee grounds from the cabinet, she placed them inside the maker and turned it on. Kensei came up behind her and gently turned her around to face him.

Elize thought he was going to kiss her because of the way he was looking at her. "Elize…I'm sorry about last night" he said softly. He was so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face. "I didn't mean to hurt you…" she started but he placed a finger upon her lips to silence her.

"I know you didn't and I understand how you feel. You and Shinji were engaged once before. I'm always going to love you; but I've got to let it go and let you be happy"

The coffee maker beeped indicating the pot was finished brewing. He removed his finger from her lips. She turned around and reached for two mugs. The black liquid steamed into the air. She handed him one.

"What would make me happy, is to still have you as a friend like we used to be" she replied pouring milk into her mug.

"I'll always be your friend, Elize; but you have to understand that I'm a little disappointed right now"

"I do understand. Believe me, I understand"

Kensei took a drink and it started to warm him up. He turned his gaze away from her and to the window behind her. Snow was beginning to fall again. She turned to see what he was looking at. Seeing the snow falling made her smile.

"Hey, do you remember when we had that snowball fight after leaving Shunsui's party?" she asked.

"Yeah, we were so drunk" he replied with a half-smile.

Elize started to laugh and an idea struck her. She took Kensei's mug from his hand and sat both of them on the counter. "Come on" she said pulling at his arm. "Where are we going?" he asked hoping she wasn't thinking what he thought she was. She said nothing and walked outside. The snow was beautifully falling around, landing on everything it touched.

"Elize" Shinji's voice called behind her.

"Shinji" she replied with a smile.

Lisa stood beside him wearing pants, boots and a heavy winter coat. She lookrd like she was dressed for a blizzard. "Lisa, it isn't that cold" Elize commented. Lisa's teeth chattered together. "Yes, it most certainly is" she replied. Elize outstretched her arms and walked in a circle, her head staring up at the sky.

"She's lost it" Lisa said.

"No, I just like snow"

Shinji bent down and scooped up a handful of the snow, packed it into a ball. He threw it at Elize's chest. She stopped dead, feeling the cold wetness sink through her sweater. Kensei grinned, remembering that he had done the same thing to her over a hundred years ago. Elize threw her own ball of snow at Shinji, smashing him in the face.

"You play dirty" he said.

She threw another at Kensei; but he held his hand out to stop it. "Awe not fair" she pouted. He hated it when she looked at him like that. She was so damn hard to resist. "You know how childish this is" he said. Elize shrugged. "So, I want one more memory between the closest people to my heart" she replied.

There was no way he could tell her no, no matter how childish she was acting. He bent down and made a ball of snow in his hand. She smiled; it truly made her heart soar with happiness to have her old Kensei back and the love of her life, Shinji by her side.

The snow ball whipped out of his hand and came inches from making contact with her face. She felt a smack of cold against her backside. Elize turned to see Shinji grinning from ear to ear. "Oh I see you want to make me all wet" she commented. Kensei, Shinji, and Lisa instantly took her comment to a perverted level and chuckled.

"And people say I'm the pervert" Lisa said.

"You are a pervert" Kensei replied.

Elize laughed, feeling like everything was exactly perfect. She wished the moment wouldn't end; but she knew the war was closing in and they would have to fight for survival. She prayed to god that everyone would survive.

**XxXx I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter starts the war. XxXx **


	26. Chapter 26

**XxXx Sorry for the long update again. I've kind of been hitting a writer's block lately. There is a tender moment between Elize and Kensei. It's kind of a proper goodbye thing before the war starts. I just didn't want you to think low of her. There will be lyrics from the song 'Evolution' by DreamState featuring Elize Ryd throughout the next couple chapters. I hope you enjoy the new chapter and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 26

Elize spent her days training with Yoruichi to prefect her bankai. Every moment she cherished as if it were her last one and pretty soon it was the day before the war was supposed to begin. Shinji had told her before that he was beginning to feel the stirring within the Soul Society. She still had a bad feeling about Kensei's safety. The feeling was overwhelming and she felt like she needed to spend time with him before the battle began.

She dressed pretty quickly and headed for the warehouse. Haichi opened a door in the barrier for her and she slipped inside. Kensei was holding his zanpakuto tightly in his hand, when she walked into the main room. He looked up at her, giving her a slight smile.

"Can we go for a walk please?" she asked hoping that Shinji wouldn't notice her presence yet.

"Yeah, sure" he replied.

He followed her outside the warehouse and started their walk down the street. "So why are you here? I thought you'd be training" he stated. She tried to keep her emotions under control; but the fact was she still cared about him. Shinji knew that she still had feelings for her best friend, even though they weren't nearly as strong as her feelings for Shinji.

"Am I not allowed to spend time with you?" she asked.

"You're still worried about me aren't you?"

"How could I not be? Kensei, you're my best friend"

"It was just a dream"

She reached and grabbed his arm, pulling him to stop walking. He looked into her eyes and saw the terror in them. His arm wrapped around her. "It's a dream that could easily come true, if you're not careful" she whispered against his chest. The feeling of her trembling in his arms was like a ton of bricks hitting his chest.

"Elize, I'm not going to die. I refuse to leave you"

He felt her hold on him tighten. He hated the fact that she wasn't with him. He wanted to press his lips onto hers and just kiss away her fear of him dying. She finally let go of him and took several steps back to put distance between them. "Let's head back. I need to spend time with all of you before tomorrow" she said turning around.

Kensei grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. His hand cupped her cheek and his eyes bore into hers, giving her a loving look. She tried to suppress her desire to kiss him; but it just nagged at her continuously. "I didn't get to kiss you goodbye that night you chose Shinji. I'm going to do that now." Before she could protest, his lips had captured hers. She didn't return his kiss at first; but after a few seconds her body responded heatedly.

Her lips moved across his several times before breaking away. "Goodbye Kensei" she whispered and continued on towards the warehouse. Shinji was waiting for her on the outside of the barrier. His arms were crossed over his chest and she could see the upset look upon his face.

"Shinji, what's wrong?" she asked.

"You tell me. You came here and then left again without saying anything to me"

"I took a walk with Kensei. I felt like I needed to spend time with him before tomorrow"

He could understand that. Even he knew about her dream and the overwhelming amount of dread she felt when it came to Kensei's survival. He didn't know how to comfort her when she needed it the most. She closed the distance between them. Taking his hand into hers, she laced her fingers with his tightly.

"I'm scared Shinji" she admitted.

"I know baby, I know"

He pulled her into his arms and held her close. The sound of his heartbeat was soothing to her. They made their way back into the warehouse. Elize made every moment count with them. Even Kensei spent time with her and the others. She knew how he was feeling about everything without him saying a word.

The time seemed to fly by and soon darkness was settling in. Elize followed Shinji upstairs to his bedroom. She crawled into his bed on the left side. He looked down at her and smiled. Her eyes sparkled with emotions for him. He crawled in beside her, immediately pulling her into his arms.

"I love you, Elize"

"I love you too"

He leaned in and kissed her lips softly. She tried to stay awake as long as she could, because she thought that maybe it would be the last day she'd ever see him. Her eyes felt heavy and eventually they wouldn't open anymore.

The next morning she awoke before everyone else. Her body trembled when she felt large spiritual pressures. She knew that the Soul Society's warriors were there. Her eyes shifted down to look at the man still asleep next to her. _**"I promise that none of you will die in this battle" **_she thought and then wiggled her way out of the bed.

Shinji awoke to an empty bed. Her spiritual pressure was nowhere near the warehouse. There was just no time to go after her, much to his disappointment. The war was already beginning and he needed to get everyone else around the barrier. "Elize" he whispered and then proceeded to gather the others together.

Elize could feel her fellow vizards on the move. Her hand held her zanpakuto tightly. She stood on top of a fairly tall building just outside the barrier, just waiting for them to arrive. She could feel so many different spiritual pressures and she had no clue who they belonged to.

"Elize" Shinji said appearing beside her.

"Let's do this" she replied.

Her eyes searched her comrades and they all gave her a look of approval.

_I'm awake and I'm alive_

_Coming back from the other side_

_On way to final destination_

_Adrenaline intensify_

_Hold on and you can find_

_I believe in the power of my dedication_

Sosuke Aizen watched as Wonderweiss screamed to shatter the ice that held Harribel imprisoned. The scream blew away the smoke left from Sui-Feng's bankai, reveling that her attack had no effect on Baraggan. Everyone was in total shock and it only got worse when the vizards finally appeared.

"Who are they?" Toshiro asked himself.

Yamamoto slightly opened his eyes and spoke. "Shinji…Hirako" and he remembered what had happened over a hundred years ago. Elize stared at Sosuke, the anger and hated for him was boiling to the surface. He took a moment to look at her, knowing that she knew the truth about everything.

"A lot of familiar faces" Gin said stating the obvious.

Shinji turned to look at everyone. "Is there anyone you'd like to talk to?" he asked the group as a whole. Everyone declined except for Lisa. She vanished and Hiyori complained about it. Elize knew exactly where and who she was going to see. She knew that Lisa had feelings for her previous Captain and even after a hundred years, those feelings were still there.

"I think I'll have a chat with the Head Captain" Shinji said and vanished from his spot.

Hiyori complained yet again and it irritated Elize; but she never bothered to look at her. "Stop complaining, there is a reason why he is speaking with him" she said tightening her grip on the hilt of her zanpakuto. "Oh shut up, Elize"

"Guys, stop it" Mashiro interfered stepping between them.

Elize never took her eyes off Aizen. She wanted her revenge and she was moments away from attempting to get it.


	27. Chapter 27

**XxXx Sorry for the long wait for an update but I'm finding it difficult to write these war scenes. In the process of writing this I've also started a new project. It's called Amaranthine and it's a ****Shūhei**** Hisagi story. I've scrapped the story Siren's Lure under the pen name KaitlynRose8; I'll only be using this name. Thanks to all my readers, there are more of the lyrics to 'Evolution' by Dreamstate included in this chapter. Here is the new chapter and I hope everyone enjoys and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 27

Shinji appeared before the Head Captain. Yamamoto looked at him through slit eyes, never fully opened. "Are you here seeking revenge?" he asked. Shinji smile, "No, only against Aizen" he replied.

"Then are we to consider you an ally considering the circumstances?" Yamamoto asked.

"I thought that would be obvious. We are by no means are we your allies; but there is one other we support and that's Ichigo Kurosaki" he replied and then vanished.

Yamamoto was slightly dumbfounded, "Ichigo Kurosaki" he muttered and continued to watch the Soul Reapers that Central 46 had tried to execute as hollows; but Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin made sure that didn't happen. At this point in battle, he was grateful.

Shinji returned to the others. Elize looked at him and he gave her a reassuring smile. This was it, their time to seek the revenge they so desperately wanted. Wonderweiss started to cry out in loud annoying screams that made Gin Ichimaru cringe in disgust. A large blubbery hollow opened its mouth and spilled out a long thick black line of fluid, which turned out to be a couple dozen Gillians.

Elize stared at the large group of hollow before them and unsheathed her zanpakuto, ready to attack at any second. "Let's do this" Shinji stated and in a mere second the vizards had their masks over their faces.

_From the end and burning eyes_

_Oh, come defies_

_Shift gear and ride through the fire_

_Be strong and sacrifice and hands of reliance_

_Head first into the fight, my only desire_

Elize took her own set of Gillians. The tip of her blade severed the head of one, while using a cero to destroy the other next to her. Anger fueled her and she was starting to enjoy the fight. She flash-stepped in front of a Gillian forming a cero; she used her bare hand to push it down its throat, exploding on impact.

Kensei used his 'sand beat' technique to shatter the mask of a Gillian, then used his zanpakuto to stab the next in the side of the head. Each vizard took their turn destroying the hollows, except Shinji. He appeared before Aizen. "Shinji Hirako" he stated and smiled wickedly.

"Kensei you jerk, I had my eye on that one" Mashiro whined after seeing him kill a Gillian in front of her.

"Shut up, you can have that big one over there" he said taking his mask off.

"A big one…"

She looked in the direction of Wonderweiss and saw the grey blob of a hollow behind him. "Thanks Kensei, you're the best" she cheered and rushed away. Kensei smiled and then turned to look for Elize. She was finishing up the last two with cero's. _**"She's focused, that's good"**_ he thought.

Shinji removed his mask. His eyes narrowed and he couldn't help but feel the hatred inside for the man who ruined him and his comrades; and for using the love of life in more personal ways than anyone could image. "There is fire in your eyes, Shinji. Is that hatred?" Aizen asked. Shinji sneered at him and then felt a hand lace fingers with his. He turned to see Elize standing next to him and Hiyori, Lisa and Toshiro behind him.

_In the end, break the line_

_Race against the hands of time_

_All we are is the final solution_

_Make it last_

_Be the one_

_As we all shape the things to come_

_It's time to embrace the evolution_

"My dear Elize" Aizen cooed.

"I'm not your anything, Sosuke. Those days are over; I have every last memory you took away from me" she replied.

Hiyori looked at Elize solemnly. Despite her hatred for her, she did feel bad for her and what she'd gone through. No one deserved that no matter what. She gripped her zanpakuto tightly, hatred boiling to the surface. "So you seek vengeance on me" Aizen asked. Elize let of Shinji's hand and unsheathed her zanpakuto. Before she could answer his question, Hiyori pushed through to the front beside Shinji.

"We hate you, Aizen" she started to say.

Elize turned to look in her direction. "You took everything from us; our lives, our positions, and even our friends. It's unforgivable" she continued. Shinji placed his hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Hiyori. Don't be stupid" he said without taking his eyes off Aizen. Lisa could see the anger seep through and in a second she was rushing head on, not caring to listen to reason.

"HIYORI!" Shinji yelled.

She screamed as she closed in on his position. Elize saw Gin out of the corner of her eye. He was about the attack Hiyori. "Damnit" she cursed and without a second thought she used shunpo to reach her quickly. She shoved her out of the way just as Gin's blade would have made contact. "What the hell…." Hiyori started to say but stopped as she saw Gin's blade through Elize's abdomen.

"Oh dear, she took the blow. Sorry Lord Aizen" Gin apologized.

Hiyori's eyes opened wider in utter shock, "Why?" she whispered. Elize slowly turned her head as Gin retracted his blade. "ELIZE" Shinji shouted in fear. His eyes quivered and his grip on his weapon grew tighter. "Protect…them" Elize choked out as she started to plunge from the sky. Kensei caught her and landed on a pile of debris. Blood soaked his hand and dripped onto the ground. Shinji's eyes burned with tears and he couldn't seem to control his emotions any longer.

_Step up and testify_

_A new beginning_

_My burning heart and my devotion_

_All I leave to satisfy_

'_Cus be my enemy_

_I buy my time alone, my inner emotion_

Kensei's grip on Elize tightened as she gasped for air. _**"I'm going to watch her die, like she watched me in her dream"**_ he thought. "Kensei…" she stammered but stopped for a breath. "Don't talk" he whispered placing a hand on her cheek, whipping the blood from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. She smiled at him. "Help them, please" and forced her hand to cup his face.

He leaned down and pressed his lips onto hers. Shinji looked down and witnessed the display of affection. The hurt look was obvious on his face; but he could feel her spiritual pressure still at a steady level. Something was going on and he just hoped Kensei did. No one else seemed to notice that her energy was still holding strong; they all thought she was dying. _**"Maybe if I act the same way, we could catch him off guard"**_ he thought mentally.

"Do you hate me now?" Aizen asked.

"We've all hated you" he replied.

_In the end, break the line_

_Race against the hands of time_

_All we are is the final solution_

_Make is last_

_Be the one_

_As we all shape the things to come_

_It's time to embrace the evolution_

Kensei pulled his lips away from Elize's and realized the wound in her abdomen was slowly closing up. "What's going on?" he asked softly. He could feel her power getting stronger as time passed. Her eyes opened to slits. "Instant regeneration" she murmured and then passed out in his arms.

**XxXx There it was. I hope you all liked it. Let me know what you thing. XxXx**


	28. Chapter 28

**XxXx Well I got this chapter written quicker than I expected. The beginning of this chapter is based on the real fight between Shinji and Sosuke Aizen. I do not own anything from Bleach; but I do own Elize Tomoya (Urahara). The rest of the lyrics to 'Evolution' by Dreamstate in written in this chapter as well. I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 28

Kensei looked up at Aizen with a harsh intent-to-kill glare. Lisa closed her eyes, mentally praying for Elize's survival. Hiyori's mind raced with thoughts. _**"Why would she do that? I've been nothing but horrible to her"**_ she thought. Shinji unsheathed his zanpakuto. Sosuke grinned at him wholeheartedly.

"You said that I never opened up to you or told you anything about myself; but as a result of that, you have no idea about my zanpakuto's abilities" Shinji said quoting Aizen from over a hundred years ago.

"What's your point, Shinji?"

"If you think your zanpakuto is the only one with the ability to completely control other people's sensed, you're dead wrong"

Aizen's eyes narrowed further inward. "Collapse, Sakanade" he called and his Shikai took form rather quickly. "Well that's an interesting shape" Sosuke commented. Lisa held Hiyori's arm tightly to prevent her from interfering.

"Stop flattering my. I'm not going to let you borrow it"

"It doesn't feel as if anything's changed; perhaps I heard wrong about its abilities"

Shinji's wide grin appeared upon his face. It was a front, because the reality was that he was worried about Elize. His eyes shifted for a split second, taking a look at her in Kensei's arms. _**"Damnit, what's going on down there?"**_ he thought; but he redirected his focus to Aizen once more.

"Re-examine things, Sosuke. Things are already changing; can't you smell Sakanade's pleasant scent?"

Sosuke's eyes opened a little wider, realizing that Shinji appeared to be standing upside-down in mid-air. _**"Damn, my sense of direction is reversed"**_ he thought. He wasn't finding the humor in the situation at all.

"Do you think my power is neat?" Shinji asked with a smile.

There was no humor evident on Aizen's face. "I take that back. You probably don't play games of any sort" he said again and leapt forward to attack.

_And I wanna bring you down_

_Standing power never crowned_

_Evolution feeds my life_

"You're zanpakuto is interesting"

He turned quickly to block Shinji's attack. His eyes reflected slight surprise. Aizen retuned his smug natured smile to his face. "Did you really think I'd be fooled?" he asked; but as soon as he said it, blood seeped out from his right arm.

"It's not just a person's sense of direction that's reversed; but also a person's vision and the location of an injury as well"

Elize's eyes moved under her eyelids, trying to awaken. _**"Come on body, move!"**_ she screamed inside. She could feel the wound in her abdomen closing and her power returning to normal; but she had a sick feeling of dread at the pit of her stomach.

"_**Elize…"**_

"_**Inazuma?"**_

"_**You must wake up. Shinji's life is in danger"**_

"_**Shinji…"**_

"_**Your body is almost healed, now we must get to work"**_

Kensei looked down and felt energy surge around Elize's unconscious body. Her eyes opened and she sat up just as quickly. "Elize" he said softly. Her hand touched his cheek and she smiled at him; but her attention was caught by Shinji and Aizen. "I'm fine, Kensei; but I'll be joining the fight momentarily." she stated. She watched patiently awaiting for a moment to interfere.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked.

"I have to. It has to be me."

"Elize, just be careful okay"

She turned back towards him and smiled. "I promise I'll be fine. You and Shinji are the only ones that got me this far; and I'll be forever grateful for that" she replied and squeezed his hand tightly.

Shinji moved to attack him again; but Aizen appeared behind him, now understanding how his zanpakuto worked. "Your power is nothing more than child's play" Sosuke taunted. Realizing that Shinji was in trouble, Elize flash-stepped away from Kensei and blocked Aizen's strike with her now formed Shikai.

_In the end, break the line_

_Race against the hands of time_

_All we are is the final solution_

_Make it last_

_Be the one_

_As we all shape the things to come_

_It's time to embrace the evolution_

Shinji opened his eyes to see jet black hair flowing in front of him. "Elize…" he whispered. The metal scrapping against metal sound screeched into his ears. Aizen gave her a smile. "I thought you were dead" he commented. Elize's lips formed a sly grin. Her eyes glowed with energy.

"As if I'd die without having a chance to kill you myself" she stated.

Their swords separated and she stood in front of Shinji protectively. Lisa and Hiyori stared wide-eyed at her. They couldn't believe she was alive let alone unscathed. The only thing that was damaged was her shirt. "Well then shall we continue, my dear?" he asked. Elize's anger boiled and her hands gripped the hilts of her swords tighter.

"I'm not anything to you anymore"

"My apologizes, I forgot that you have your memories"

Shinji wanted to pull her behind him and continue the fight he had begun with the heartless bastard before them; but she wanted her chance and who was he to deny her that. "How could you?" she asked softly. Her energy surged stronger around her.

"How could I what exactly?" Sosuke asked.

"How could you manipulate me and have my unborn child removed from my body?"

Lisa, Hiyori, and Toshiro's eyes grew wider in shock. Shinji's face showed the despair when reminded of the event. Aizen's grin grew wider. "It was necessary for my plan. I stripped you of your memories; but I couldn't have you still pregnant, it would have caused questions and more problems for me" he finally answered.

"You really are heartless aren't you? Let me tell you something; even without my memories, I still felt for Shinji. While I was fooled to believe you loved me, I still dreamed of him. You only took away what my mind remembered not what my heart remembered"

Shinji's heart skipped several beats listening to her. She was his everything; body, mind, and soul. Aizen's glared at the woman before him; he was beginning to think she was beyond troublesome. Elize raised her zanpakuto up in front of her. "I will get my revenge and it starts now! Bankai!" she shouted. Five lightning bolts crashed down around her. Shinji backed away reluctantly. A black dome surrounded her, emanating lightning bolts within its darkness.

When the dome shattered, Elize stood before them changed. White streaked her black hair and her eyes radiated a silver glow. Her left sword glowed silver with sparks of electricity surrounded the blade; and her right sword glowed gold with swirling winds surrounding its blade. Tribal markings etched her skin on her arms and they pulsed with life.

"Elize…" Hiyori whispered to herself.

She was feeling ashamed for how she had acted towards her for over a century. Watching her take an attack for her, made her realize that she was the best friend she could ever ask for. She was more than a comrade and now she was about to battle against the man that had destroyed her life with Shinji. _**"You better not die"**_ she thought as Kensei appeared next to her.

**XxXx Next chapter is Elize's battle against Sosuke Aizen. We are getting closer to the end of the story. Feel free to let me know if there is something you want to see in the last remaining chapters. XxXx**


	29. Chapter 29

**XxXx Again I apologize for the wait for the new chapter; but I do hope you all will enjoy it. There will be one more chapter after this one, so stay tuned for the ending. Here is the new chapter and as always please review. XxXx**

Chapter 29

Gin raise an eyebrow at Elize's increasing spiritual pressure. "Goodness, she's achieved bankai" he commented. Aizen's smile never wavered, even after her transformation. Her eyes radiated energy with a silver aura around the irises. "I've achieved more than that smartass" Elize snapped. She wasted little time rushing in the direction of her long hated enemy.

Her swords clashed against his in a loud crash. His eyes narrowed in annoyance. "So tell how your wound healed so quickly" he said. Elize ignored him and twisted her body up around him. He shifted to attack her. Her sword cracked against his, sending sparks of lightning around them. "I'd never tell you that" she replied.

Shinji appeared next to Kensei. They locked eyes for a moment; both obviously worried about Elize's safety. "So tell me what's going on" he asked. Kensei raised his pierced eyebrow. "What do you want me to tell you?" he asked. Shinji's eyes narrowed and anger was starting to invade his heart. Hiyori stepped in to prevent a fight. "Please tell me she has a plan" Shinji asked.

"None that she told me about; but she just might be able to defeat him with her newly acquired ability" Kensei replied.

"What new ability?" he asked.

"Instant regeneration" Hiyori answered.

"What!"

Shinji's eyes locked on Elize's form. She was smiling while fighting the bastard that destroyed her life. He feared she was becoming more hollow-like at ever turned in her power and that's when he realized what was happening.

Elize held both of her hands in front of her, letting her weapons hover beside her. Aizen rushed at her with a sly smile upon is flawless features. "Hadō 73 Sōren Sōkatsui" she called. Two waves of blue energy flowed out of her palms. Sosuke held a hand out, disintegrating the energy upon impact. Elize's smile never wavered.

"Kongo Kuki no wai ban" she called.

Shinji and Kensei's eyes grew wide, recognizing the attack she was about to release. "Get back everyone" Shinji yelled. Toshiro and Hiyori looked at him, confused. "Trust me, you don't want to be around this attack" Kensei replied.

Both of her swords merged into one and she spun her body around in a complete circle. A Wyvern made of lightning and wind screeched and headed in Sosuke's direction. His eyes grew a little wider and stopped rushing in her direction. She twisted the hilt of her merged sword to once again split it into two; this created another Wyvern to appear behind him, trapping him.

"Did she get him?" Lisa asked.

"No" Shinji replied.

As soon as he said 'no' energy engulfed the Wyvern's, destroying them. Sosuke appeared with a slight wound to his eyebrow and right arm. "Impressive, Elize" he said the smile returning to his face. Anger took over and Elize began to think recklessly. He avoided all of her attacks and soon vanished from her sight completely, only to feel his blade run through her abdomen.

"ELIZE!" Shinji yelled attempting to go to her.

"No, stay here; she's fine" Kensei replied grabbing his arm.

Blood dripped down her body from the back and the front. _**"Damnit"**_ she cursed mentally. "I think this needs to be over" he said against her ear. The warmth of his breath on her skin sickened her. He removed his blade from her flesh and a gush of blood sprayed out into the air. She sucked in an agonizing breath of air.

"Such beauty going to waste; seems like a tragedy"

"Save it, I'd rather die than be used by you"

"Are you sure about that?"

He leaned down and placed his lips upon the shallow of her neck. Her body was betraying her, the desire overwhelmed her senses. She automatically started to wonder what was wrong with her. Her wound was slowly closing up. _**"Just a little longer"**_ she thought; but her body refused to move away from him.

"Something isn't right" Kensei commented.

"It's the Hōgyoku. It's brining the hollow part of her out. She's doing what the hollow part of her wants and apparently the hollow part of her still wants Aizen" Shinji replied.

Elize felt his lips on her neck once more and bile rose in the back of her throat. She was desperately pushing the hollow part down, so she could move. The stinging of her now closed wound brought her back to reality and she instantly moved away from him. Sosuke scanned her closely.

"Your wound has healed, is that instant regeneration you've acquired?"

"Yes it is"

She was wiping the skin of the wetness his lips left. He chuckled at her actions. "Well now, should I put that ability to the test just for the fun of it?" he taunted. Her eyes narrowed and she prepared herself for his next attack. The closer he got to her, the harder it was to suppress the hollow inside. She couldn't seem to follow his movements anymore, her energy was too drained. Without seeing his attacks, all she could do was feel the burning and sharp pains of the cuts he was applying to her skin.

"He's torturing her" Lisa said gripping her zanpakuto.

No one could say anything. Every cut Aizen applied instantly healed, depleting her energy even quicker. Shinji couldn't watch any longer and intercepted his next attack. Elize froze and saw Shinji in front of her. "Shin…ji" she called blood rolling into her eyes. "You've done enough" he stated. Kensei appeared next to her and automatically took her away from the battle.

"I don't have enough energy to heal my wounds" she said softly.

Haichi appeared behind her and with a smile he placed a barrier around her, trying to heal what he could. Kensei stayed in the barrier with her, keeping her stabilized in case she'd fall unconscious. Shinji continued with his battle that was interrupted by Elize. Aizen found himself once again in an inverted world.

"You'll never beat me using this pathetic zanpakuto ability" Aizen said.

"I won't let you hurt her anymore. You've done enough to her"

"How admirable; but it won't be enough. You'll both die by my hand"

His attention wavered for a moment. Kaname Tōsen was dying on the ground before two Soul Reapers Shinji didn't recognize. Aizen held his hand outward and Kaname was killed instantly. The younger Soul Reaper was horrified by the sight; but the other that had the appearance of a fox was enraged. He looked up at Sosuke with intent to kill. In that moment, the sky cracked open and Ichigo Kurosaki made his way out of the garganta.

"Ichigo" Shinji whispered.

Everyone stopped and stared at the Substitute Soul Reaper that everyone seemed to rely upon. Elize's lips curved into a smile despite how weak she was. She knew that the battle was just beginning; but she also knew that no one but Ichigo would be a part of it.

**XxXx Well stay tuned for the final chapter/ending. Please review with any comments or questions/concerns XxXx**


	30. Chapter 30

**XxXx This the very last chapter. It's been fun to write this story for all of you; but all stories must come to an end. I hope you will enjoy this last insert and I hope you all will leave me a review. Thanks to all the readers, followers, favorites, and reviewers I appreciate everything. XxXx**

Epilogue

**Elize's POV**

It's been seventeen months since Sosuke Aizen was sealed away by my father and Ichigo. I really hoped that the bastard would never be freed for any reason. The vizards were finally allowed to return the Soul Society. Rose, Shinji and Kensei were able to return to their previous positions as Captains of Squads Three, Five, and Nine.

Shinji returning as Captain left little time for us; but I understood. I remained in the World of the Living with my father. The Head Captain offered me a place in the Gotei 13; but I couldn't decide if I wanted to or not.

"Elize" Lisa called from my bedroom doorway.

"Hey Lisa" I replied.

"Come on we are going to the Soul Society for a visit"

I almost forgot about Lisa's infatuation with the Squad Eight Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku. I smiled and rolled off my bed, heels clicking against the hard floor. "Who is we?" I asked with a sheepish grin.

"You and me" she replied.

"Do I sense a little longing in your aura?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I thought you'd miss Shinji by now"

I blinked a couple times. "Well yeah, of course I miss him; but he's got a job to do. I can't be with him all the time" I answered honestly. It's been a month since the last time I saw Shinji and even longer since I saw Kensei. Thinking about them made my heart warm. It wasn't hard for me to decide to go with her.

My father opened a senkaimon for us to pass through. The bright sunlight welcomed us. It never really felt like home to me; but for some reason it did today. She touched my shoulder and urged me forward. Every turn we took Soul Reapers were busy at work. I almost envied them, they had purpose and that's when I decided on what to do about the offer the Head Captain gave me.

"Lisa" I said.

"Yeah"

"I need to go see the Head Captain, tell Shunsui I said hi"

"O…k…"

I used flash-step to escape her and head in the direction of Squad One; but when I got there, the doors were sealed. Guards occupied the doors. "There is a Captain's meeting in progress at this time" one of them said.

"I see, well tell Lieutenant Sasakibe that Elize Urahara is here to see the Head Captain" I replied.

They looked at me like they had seen a ghost. I guess that's what happens when you're an exiled Soul Reaper's daughter. I heard the seal crack and the door start to creek open. My head lifted in curiosity and my eyes met Kensei's for the first time in seven months. Any time Shinji came to visit me, Kensei never came with him. The last time he came to the World of the Living was for my birthday and that was seven months ago.

"Kensei…" I muttered breathlessly.

A grin appeared on his face and in a flash he scooped me into his arms, embracing me. His grip was tight; but I could tell that he had missed me.

"Did you miss me or something?" I asked.

"That's a stupid question" he replied.

I laughed a little as he let go of me. Shinji came into view and a large sheepish smile erupted onto his face. Kensei stepped aside and allowed Shinji to draw me into his arms. His embrace wasn't nearly as tight. I realized just how much I missed him being in his arms.

"So why did you come here?" Shinji asked.

"Lisa asked me to; but as I started to walk around in this place, I realized that I want to have purpose again"

Shinji squeezed my hand lovingly and I could see Retsu Unohana, Shunsui Kyoraku and the rest of the Captains walking out of the Head Captain's chambers. Shunsui approached me with a heartwarming smile. "Is Lisa here with you?" he asked.

"Yeah she's probably fighting with Nanao as we speak" I replied.

"Well then I better get back, excuse me"

He vanished and I simply laughed. I could feel the suffocating spiritual pressure of the Head Captain coming from inside. Looking back at Kensei and Shinji, I started to walk inside. The old man always intimidated me. He stood in front of his desk with both his hands on top of his wooden staff; that staff also concealed his zanpakuto within it.

"Elize Urahara" he stated.

"I've made my decision, sir"

"Then tell me what it is you decided"

"I want to return as a Soul Reaper. I want to have purpose again"

His eyes opened slightly and I gulped down the lump in my throat. "Very well, you shall return to your previous position within Squad Five" he announced and I was beyond thrilled. My strength was higher than a Third Seat; but I was okay with my rank for the time being.

I walked back to the Squad Five barracks to tell Shinji what happened. He was in his office with his Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori. She turned to see me standing in the doorway. He looked up from his paper to see me. "Momo, could I have a moment alone with Elize" he said.

"Of course, sir" she replied.

The moment she walked passed me; she shut the door behind her harshly. She was all about work; but I couldn't blame her for her behavior. Sosuke Aizen had used her just like he had used me. She just didn't know how to deal with it yet. Maybe someday, she'd let me help her.

"So what did he say?" he asked.

"I can return to my previous position"

"You mean here in Squad Five"

"Yes"

I could see the excitement in his eyes and in no time at all his lips came crashing down upon mine. I took a hold of the white material of his Captain's Haori, remembering that I had done the very same action a hundred years ago. Everything was slowly going back to the way things were before all the hell Aizen caused us.

"There is something I want to ask you" he said breaking the kiss.

"What's that?"

He backed away and walked around to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled something out that I couldn't see. I was curious as to what he was doing and then he got down on one knee in front of me. My heart started to race uncontrollably. Was he really going to ask me that?

"Elize, we've overcome so many obstacles that no other couple had ever done. We finally found each other again and I never want to lose you again"

"Shinji…"

"Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

I couldn't control the tears that rolled down my cheeks in that moment. He opened his enclosed hand to reveal the ring that once was my mothers and mine so long ago. Ignoring all the different spiritual pressures outside the door, I knelt down to his level.

"Yes Shinji, I would love to be your wife"

"Really?"

"Yes"

He slipped the ring onto my finger and as we stood up, the door burst open and several bodies spilled onto the floor. Among them were Momo, Lisa, Shunsui, Rose and Rangiku. I had to smile knowing that Momo's behavior was an act. She stood up and gave me a sweet childish smile.

"Congrats" she said.

"Thank you Momo" I replied.

I had almost everything that was taken away from me back, except one thing. The thought of that memory was still painful; but maybe I could talk to Retsu about the possibility of it happening again. I would be good mother and Shinji…well…he'd be an amazing father. His arms wrapped around me. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. I smiled and leaned back against him.

"The past"

"You mean the baby"

"Yeah"

"We will try again"

I turned around to face him completely. His words actually surprised me; but I saw no lie in his eyes. He leaned in and captured my lips with his. "I love you" I whispered against his open lips. He smiled, "I love you to" he replied.

**XxXx There was the last Chapter; I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Leave a review! XxXx**


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